


black heart

by befham



Category: The Tudors
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-08-30
Updated: 2016-08-22
Packaged: 2017-11-13 05:05:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 26,134
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/499811
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/befham/pseuds/befham
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For ten years she captured the attention of the whole of England, and even now she is not the Queen, Anne Boleyn still manages to create scandals throughout court.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place in 2x09.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 4/17 - I will be editing this story over the next few weeks to see if it will give me a kick up the ass and inspire me to finish my current WIP chapter.

All Anne had ever wanted was to be married to a man who respected her, and perhaps even loved her. She wanted a family, children who would be loved and cherished, not used as political advancement as she and her siblings had.

She thought that she had gotten it. A husband who tore apart England just to call her his wife, and the promise of children who would one day call themselves Kings and Queens.

She'd had it all And then a daughter was born and her world burned to ash.

All Anne Boleyn had ever wanted was a family.

She had never guessed that it would almost kill her.

ii

The halls of Whitehall palace were empty at this time of night. The only sound that could be heard was the clicking of the Queen's shoes on the stone floor as she walked determinedly to her husband’s quarters. 

It was an unusual sight to behold. To see the Queen without her ladies present was rare, but to see her striding through the halls at an hour well past midnight with her dark curls falling down her back and her elegant features twisted in anger was an unusual occurrence.

Had the guard outside the King's door been a braver man he would never have let her in, but seeing the expression on her face and hearing the barely concealed rage quivering in her voice when she uttered the word, "Move," the guard stepped aside without further thought about the consequences for letting in the Queen into her husband’s rooms.

He was sitting in a chair staring into the fire, quietly drinking the goblet of wine in his hand when she entered. He barely acknowledged her presence save for his brow furrowing and clenching his jaw, though it was nothing new to her now when they were in private and Henry had no reason to pretend that he still loved his once cherished wife. 

Minutes passed in tense silence as Anne glared at her husband, not hiding the fact that she was studying him intently. She knew him far better than any other person in this world, and yet his face was barely recognizable to her now. This was not the man she fell in love with ten years ago. The man across from her was somebody who had been consumed by too much power, power she had encouraged him to embrace when it suited her. 

No, the man who would sacrifice his country to spend an hour in her arms disappeared a long time ago, and part of it was her fault.

If she had not told him to read 'The Obedience of the Christian Man' making him see just how much more power could be his, then none of this would ever have happened. She may never have been Queen of England, but she would still have her Henry which meant more to her than being Queen ever could. Whilst Anne could never deny that she enjoyed holding the most prestigious title that a woman could have, she had slowly come to the conclusion that being Queen meant little without Henry's love.

"Why are you here?" Henry asked, his impatience clear in his voice as he wished her gone. He did not bother to look at her and it angered Anne all the more. For three years she had tried to act like a dignified Queen despite the hatred and scorn tossed her way, though Henry did little to help as he flaunted his whores at every opportunity he was presented with. Alas, she tried her best because it was what was expected of her. But now her time as Queen was coming to an end one way or another. She had nothing to lose and no amount of pleading would ever save her - nor would she give the man the satisfaction of kneeling before him and begging for his mercy. Her dear, sweet Henry was lost to her, and in his place was this calloused beat with a heart as black as coal.

Narrowing her eyes, Anne smiled coolly, her voice as sweet as a poisoned apple as she asked, "Am I not allowed to pay my darling husband a visit anymore?"

Henry pursed his lips, and had she not known him so well, she would never have known how angry her mere presence made him. "It is after midnight, you should not be here."

Anger bubbled deep in her belly at his blatant dismissal. Despite her anger, his callousness still hurt her though she was far too skilled in this game to allow Henry to see any weakness. Anne stepped further into the room, her cool smile fixed firmly in place as she went to stand next to Henry. Placing a hand on his shoulder, she tried to ignore the way Henry tensed at her touch, and leaned down to say softly in his ear, "No, you are right. It has been a long time since I've come to your chambers at this time of night. Perhaps it is improper for a Queen to do so." Anne leaned in further, her hand trailing across his shoulders as she pressed herself against Henry's side. He still would not look at her, his gaze fixed firmly on the dancing flames of the fire, though her keen eyes noticed the slight clenching of his jaw and his hand tightening around his goblet. With a confidence she had feared long gone and an amused smirk on her lips, Anne whispered in his ear, "But I have just heard something very distressing, my love, and I had to come here at once to talk to you." 

At last, her words caught the King's attention and his head snapped round to look at her. If she was a lesser woman, Anne would have backed away at the fury burning in Henry's eyes. It was well known that the King was a volatile man with a powerful temper that some of the most powerful men in the country feared. But she had spent many years at his side and lately she has spent her days on the wrong side of her husband. At this point, Henry's famous temper was irrelevant to her.

"I do not have time to listen to-"

"When I was first told that you were having your lap dogs investigate allegations of adultery against me, I thought that you could never possibly do that, not to me," Anne said softly. "I know that you do not love me anymore, but not for one moment did I think that you hated me enough to do this," she whispered. "After everything that we were, after what we used to mean to one another, I never thought that you would desire my death."

Henry stared at her with a silent fury in his eyes that chilled her to the bone. Despite everything that had happened between them, it still broke her heart to see him looking at her that way. 

"I will not speak of this with you," was Henry's only response. "Go back to your rooms-"

"No!” she cried out in outrage, standing up tall, her chin titled in defiance. “I want to know why you wish to see me a head shorter.” Noticing the anger creeping into his eyes, Anne made an effort to lower her voice. “I know that you want to annul our marriage. You see my miscarriages as a sign from God that our marriage was never true. I would have gone away quietly, for Elizabeth's sake, and let you marry your wench. You know that I am an intelligent woman, I would not have had a choice. I have few supporters and no allies. I would not be able to hold onto our dying marriage like Katherine had. So why Henry? Why do you wish to see me dead?"

He lifted his hand and said, "That is enough." The memory of him saying the exact same thing when Anne had questioned him about his mistresses made her eyes narrow in anger.

"You cannot expect me to hold my tongue when you wish to see my head on a chopping block!" she exclaimed, her voice rising in anger once again. "Is it not enough that you want to make our daughter a bastard that you wish to take her mother away from her as well?"

Henry slammed his goblet onto the table in front of him and stood towering over Anne's petite frame. "Do not use our daughter to make yourself appear innocent madam! This is your own doing! You lied about being a virgin when we met! You slept with other men in hope of conceiving a son and that is the reason why Elizabeth will be growing up without a mother!"

Anne snorted. "Lies! Where is your proof? I have only ever loved you, even my enemies cannot deny that. I have never been with any other man but you! You took my maidenhead up against a tree and you know it.

“You want to kill me so I cannot argue against an annulment! With Katherine and I dead nobody will ever be able to doubt the validity of your marriage to your pale girl.” Anne paused and raised an incredulous eyebrow. “Or do you wish to punish me for not giving you a son? Katherine had many miscarriages, why am I to be punished for having two?"

"You promised me a son," sneered Henry. Anne rolled her eyes in impatience. Henry's obsession with having a male heir had tormented Anne for two years. Under the pressure that Henry, her father and the country to produce a son it was not surprising that she could not bear a child to term. She had been desperate to give him a son, even thinking that God would never give her a boy while Katherine and Mary were alive.

"You have broken promises as well," Anne said, thinking about the many nights she had spent awake wondering what whore he was with this time. "You promised that you would always love me, that I would only ever be the one in your heart. You promised to always be truthful and loyal-"

"I have every right to take a mistress-"

"Do you not understand what it did to me to see you with another? When I argued with you it was not because of my pride, it hurts to see you love another. It broke my heart Henry! How could I ever give you a son if you chose to spend your night in another's bed?"

"God has spoken, surely you realise that madam?" Henry said coldly, disregarding her comments on how he hurt her. "God will never bless us with a son just as he never gave Katherine one! I must look for one elsewhere."

"No woman can guarantee you a son Henry," scoffed Anne. "Not even your precious Jane Seymour can choose the sex of a child! You blame me for giving you a wonderful daughter, a daughter smarter than any boy in England twice her age. If Elizabeth had been a boy you would never have considered getting rid of me, no matter how you felt."

Henry clenched his fists and stepped closer to her. "How do I know that she is my daughter? Cromwell said that you could have had over one hundred men!"

"I should have known Cromwell would have something to say, I bet the Duke of Suffolk has been whispering in your ear as well!" she stated bitterly. 

From the moment she had become Queen, Brandon had never supported her. He may have allied himself with her family to bring down Wolsey, but after that he made it known to everyone at court he was a supporter to Katherine, not Anne. Cromwell on the other hand had once been a close ally to her and the Boleyn family. Cromwell was a Reformer like herself and had helped to secure her position as Queen. Now however he saw Anne as a threat to his much desired Imperial Alliance and his work in dissolving the monasteries. It was not a surprise to know that Cromwell would go as far as making false allegations against her just to be rid of her. "Those men are my enemies, they want to see me fall! Do you think I am foolish, Your Majesty? I am far too intelligent to think that I could even have one lover, let alone one hundred."

"There is no more to say on the matter-"

"You believe them then?” Anne interrupted. “You believe that I had lovers to try to bear a son?"

Henry clenched his jaw tightly giving it the appearance of chiselled ice. "I said enough!"

"This isn't about the truth is it?” Anne continued, ignoring his warning. “It's about your pride! To annul our marriage you would have to tell the world that you were wrong about me, that your marriage to Katherine was true and lawful." Anne let out a disbelieving laugh. "You want me dead to save your pride!"

"That is not true-"

"Or is it just the thought of it," Anne whispered moving her face closer to his. She revelled in delight at the fury in his eyes, it had been a long time since he had looked at her with anything but indifference and their anger towards one another made her feel alive for the first time in a long time. She longed to goad him into a passion, to make him furious. His anger showed that he still cared, even if it was only a little. 

“The thought of another man touching me? Being inside of me? Claiming what used to be yours alone?” 

“Anne-”

“Or do you hate me so much that the thought of me baring another man’s child makes you feel nothing?” Anne smiled wickedly. “Or is it the fact that you are the only man that I’ve ever been with? Does it arouse you, my King, that you are the only man to truly possess me?” Anne laughed softly when Henry’s breath hitched in her ear. “But then again, if the allegations are true, then I suppose that I must have had better lovers than you, Your Majesty.”

Her words seemed to do the trick. Henry had her pinned against the wall with one hand around her throat before she realised what had happened. A memory of when he held her like this once ten years ago, only then it was in lust, not anger, passed through her mind but she pushed it aside. She had never seen him this angry, not even when she miscarried the second child. In a normal time, Anne would have been terrified, now his anger only seemed to amuse her.

"Be careful what you say, sweetheart. I do not want to see you in anymore trouble than you already are. I am willing to be lenient with you, if you tell me the truth. Give me what I desire and I will spare your life, you will be sent to a nunnery for the rest of your days. We wouldn't want you to lose your neck would we? It's such a pretty neck after all," his husky voice whispered. He trailed his fingers down Anne's neck gently. "I have always loved your neck." The words were whispered against her ear, his soft breath hissing almost seductively in his anger caused a shiver to run up her spine. It reminded her of a time when he was still her Henry. How she missed him…

How easy it would make things to utter a few words saying that she was guilty, it would save her life as well as the innocent men who would be accused of having carnal knowledge of her.

But she would be lying.

Her pride would not allow her to do so. What kind of life would she have in a nunnery? Elizabeth would be taught that she was a daughter of traitor and a whore by the wretched Seymour family and her enemies. Her sweet daughter was innocent in all of this. She did not deserve this life. Anne could admit there had been times when she had acted inappropriately with regards to her station, such as her reactions to Henry's infidelities when she acted vocally, but she had only acted because of her love for him. It hurt to see him lusting after other women, how could he expect her to shut her eyes like Katherine had when she loved him so much more? If she was to be put to death, she would go to the scaffold making it be known to the people that she was innocent. If Elizabeth could remember her when she was an adult, then Anne wanted her to think fondly of her and to know the truth. 

"I will not admit something that I have not done."

Henry curled his mouth in disgust. "Why deny it any longer?" he shouted, closing the distance between their bodies. "You have nothing to hide anymore! The world will see you as the whore that you are as soon as a trial takes place," he spat.

"You want to believe that I have had lovers. You are eager to listen to allegations made by men who you know are my enemies because you wish to be rid of me as quickly and as easily as possible," Anne spat, her voice rising in indignation. "You have no evidence! You know that as soon as this goes to trial not one of those men would judge me fairly. Those who were loyal to me would never dare to cross you when they know what verdict you want. And what of those who are accused to have been my lovers? You are condemning innocent people Henry, because you want to punish me. When this goes to trial everybody will see these ludicrous lies for what they are! No court has the right to try a Queen. They will never stand to see their Queen killed."

"I am the King! No peasant or courtier would ever go against me whether they think the trial is unjust or not. What makes you think that the people will protest in your favour? They barely tolerate you even when threatened with death!"

Anne smiled in delight. "If the Queen of England cannot hope to receive a fair trial, then what hope does anyone else have?" Her words had affected him just as she had hoped. Henry's grip on her throat slackened as she saw the colour drain from his face. "You see our marriage as invalid, so how can I have committed adultery, my love?" Anne lifted her hand and placed it against his cheek. The anger in her voice had been replaced by sadness. "Even if I had been with hundreds of men, you would have been just one amongst many." Her thumb brushed the panes of his familiar face as she smiled sadly at him.

"It could have been so simple, Henry. If only you had decided to annul our marriage." She pulled her hand away from his face and shook her head sadly. "I would have gone quietly, but now you leave me no choice. I will go to my death declaring my innocence, ceremony be damned. Not one person in this country will dare to doubt my innocence once I am dead." Anne permitted herself a smug smile. "Do you know what the best part is?" She let out a peal of laughter. "If I die, then you cannot annul our marriage without causing a public outrage. Elizabeth will be your legitimate daughter. With my death, Elizabeth can become Queen!"

Henry tightened his grip around her slender throat and roared in fury, "Your daughter will never be Queen! My son will be the future King of England!"

Anne smiled viciously. "You have your sons with your Seymour girl, if she gives you any, but they will never live up to our daughter. The children she bears you will not be able to govern kitchen, let alone a kingdom. She is the brightest child, my Elizabeth, child of Anne the Whore! My blood will have been well spent if it makes her Queen. So you go ahead my dear husband, you have me put to death and we will see what happens."

Anne thought that Henry might actually strike her for her words if it had not been for the hurried footsteps outside the door. His grip did not slacken as the Duke of Suffolk barged into the room with the words, "Your Majesty I could hear-" dying on his tongue once he took in the scene before him. The royal couple did not spare the Duke a glance keeping their eyes on each other. Anne thought that it must look a bizarre scene to have entered upon, the King of England almost strangling his wife and Queen who was known to be out of favour. The thought almost made Anne laugh if it had not been for the tense atmosphere, so she permitted herself to widen her vicious smile as Henry let go of her neck. She leaned up to whisper in his ear, "Remember my words, my love," before brushing past him and walking gracefully out of the room not sparing Charles Brandon a glance.

The term of endearment was not lost on Henry, although the words sounded more of a threat and a mockery of the times she had called him her love these past years. He stood staring at the place where she had been standing contemplating her words. They brought a shiver up his spine at just the thought of Elizabeth becoming Queen. Surely that would never happen. After all, it had taken the death penalty for the people to accept Anne as his Queen and Elizabeth as his legitimate heir ahead of Mary, why would they suddenly support a woman they had never truly accepted as their Queen and a child they viewed as a bastard? Henry knew the answer. Anne would have their sympathy, and she would make sure everyone knew that she was innocent before she left the world. 

What person would love a King who had sent his wife to the scaffold when they believed she was innocent?

But what if she was innocent? What if she was being truthful? It angered him to think of her with another man, the thought that she had a lover who she thought was better than him was unbearable. Henry had never liked it when people took things he considered his, and Anne would always be his, even in her death.

Her words haunted him swirling around in his mind. The look in her eyes said it all, she was angry and hurt, not fearful. Her words were confident, not pleading for her life, as if she knew how events would turn out after her death. Henry could not take that chance, even if she was guilty. He would not let Elizabeth be Queen.

"Your Majesty?" Brandon asked tentatively. He had been reluctant to break the silence afraid that his friend would turn his anger on him.

"Leave me, Charles." His tone deemed it wise not to argue. Brandon bowed and left without a word thinking about the words he had overheard.

Henry returned to his chair and stared at the flickering flames of the fire. No, while he did not love her anymore, Henry could not contemplate a world without Anne Boleyn gracing it with her presence.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edited 1/15

It was not until she was back in her rooms that she realised what she had done. Her attendant was still fast asleep at the bottom of her bed none the wiser that Anne disappeared. So not to disturb her, Anne gently sat on the closest chair and put her face into her hands.

What use had it been to confront Henry? Even if he did believe her innocence, he would not stop the investigation now, it was only a matter of time before the guards came to arrest her. 

And for the Duke of Suffolk to walk in! How he must have loved to see Henry pinning her against the wall. The vile man was probably looking forward to her execution. There was no doubt in her mind that if he told his bitch of a wife then the whole court would be aware of last nights events by morning.

Alas, there was nought to be done now. With shaking hands, Anne poured herself a goblet of wine and drained the cup. 

She had gone too far this time. And though she would never admit it to another soul, she was terrified.

Mentioning Elizabeth had a mistake, a foolish mistake. While Anne would gladly die if it guaranteed Elizabeth’s safety, and maybe even the chance for her to be Queen, the words had been spoken to anger her husband. She may have public support for a while, but her death and the anger it would bring would be forgotten eventually. Elizabeth would need support from others when she was a woman who would help her to be a fine Queen, not support that would dwindle before her third birthday. 

There was little chance of Elizabeth becoming Queen. And selfishly, she did not want her daughter to grow up without her. Elizabeth was the one good thing that had come out of her marriage, she wanted the chance to watch her daughter grow into the beauty she was destined to be.

The thought brought tears to her eyes. Elizabeth was too young to understand. While others may tell her that her mother loved her dearly, she would be too young to have many memories of her. She would not understand why her mother could not be able to see her anymore. 

Even if Henry could find no way to make Elizabeth a bastard and was still considered a Princess, her legitimacy would still be questioned by other monarchs and the Catholic Church, but her position would be even worse than before. Princess or not, she would still be considered the child of a traitor and a whore. Henry would barely be able to tolerate her, look at how he had treated the Lady Mary whose mother had only ever loved Henry. How would he treat his other daughter whose mother he believed to be a whore? Nobody would dare speak up for Elizabeth because of who her mother was, not even her family. Her father and uncle would distance themselves from the whole scandal in hopes of not falling with her. 

Anne drained another goblet of wine. She could already imagine her father’s plots to gain more titles, but this time involving Elizabeth. The thought made her sick to her stomach. What kind of world would Anne be leaving her sweet daughter in?

The tears finally escaped her eyes trailing softly down her cheeks. How ironic it was that three years ago Henry had been prepared to go against the Pope, betraying all of his religious beliefs just to make her his Queen! And when he finally placed the crown upon her head he wanted to remove it with a blow to the neck! She was going to be remembered for centuries; whether people pitied her or laughed at her, she did not know.

Where had her sweet Henry disappeared to? Was he still in there, underneath the cold front he put on when in her presence? Did he look at Jane Seymour the way he once looked at her? It broke her heart to even think of it. Anne did not doubt that he was infatuated with the girl, but she would never hold his attention for long. If she was to be Queen then she would have to be crowned quickly, because Jane Seymour had no hope of keeping a King’s attention for years as she once did.

It had taken her a while to understand Henry’s infatuation with the girl. Jane Seymour was pretty, but so were many girls and Henry did not want to make his wife. No, Henry thought himself in love with the girl because she was the complete opposite to his current wife. Sweet, quiet and obedient. 

Things that Anne could never be.

For all her bravado when she argued with Henry, Anne was terrified. She was not afraid to die, she would go to her death with the dignity of a Queen. But she was afraid of never seeing her daughter again. Anne once told Henry that she would only ever be unhappy if he ever stopped loving her. At the time it had been true, even now, after all of the pain he had put her through, she still loved the man who had courted her. 

But now she would be happy if it meant she got to keep her life.

Anne angrily wiped her face cursing herself for being weak. No, the man who had courted her had disappeared a long time ago, and she would have to come to terms with that. The monster who was preparing to sign her death warrant was not the man she loved. 

She hated him with every fibre of her being.

She vowed that these would be the last tears she shed over Henry Tudor.

ii

For over twenty years the Queen's chambers had been occupied by Katherine of Aragon. Anne could remember the rooms well when they were finely decorated with Spanish furnishings from the time she had been a lady in waiting to Katherine. The rooms had always seemed dark and suffocating. Perhaps it only felt that way to Anne because she knew what she was in love with the Queen's husband and would never feel comfortable around the woman. When Katherine was banished from court in 1531, it was not long before Anne was living in the Queen's chambers. Although Anne was not crowned for a further two years, she was Queen in everything but name. 

Anne quickly saw to the rooms being redecorated in her favored French style with even grander furniture than Katherine's. Though she would never admit it to anyone else, Anne never felt truly comfortable in the Queen's chambers. They would always be a reminder that Katherine was once acknowledged as Queen and Henry's true wife, and even in her death people still considered her the rightful Queen. No matter how much Anne redecorated the walls or changed the furniture and linens, the rooms had never really belonged to her. They would be used again by whoever her predecessor was and many times after that, just like the Queen's jewels, they were never truly hers. 

She was just a number in a long line of women who would reside here.

Over the next three days, Anne wondered what the chambers would look like next. Mistress Seymour would most likely be the next Queen, so Anne thought that considering her never leaving English soil and was not well educated, the rooms would be plainly furnished. Plain rooms for a plain girl.

Anne wondered how many of her ladies were loyal enough to her to refuse to attend the next Queen, the one who was taking her place. Anne knew that Nan, her faithful friend who had been by her side even during the King's courtship, and Madge, her cousin, would be loyal to her. Some may have been loyal to her, but their families may tell them to serve the next Queen, and then others maybe glad that she was getting discarded for someone else. Anne was not naïve to think that all of her ladies were loyal to only her, she didn't doubt that given the opportunity some would be willing to spill their guts on any information her enemies could use to bring her down.

Anne wondered what court would be like after she was gone. Would it be a warmer place like it had been when she arrived, or was Henry so far gone that the cold atmosphere would still be present when she was not? Which courtiers would celebrate the fact that Anne Boleyn was finally gone, and which courtiers would mourn her death?

Anne wondered about many things during her wait for the guards to come. 

But they never came. 

Anne almost thought that Henry was being despicably cruel by making her wait. Each second that crept by felt as though an hour had passed. She froze when she heard footsteps coming to her chamber, wondering if now was the time. She tried to keep herself and her ladies busy so that they would not be watching her all the time. If any of them knew what was coming then they hid it well. They passed the time learning the latest dances, by sewing more clothes than ever before to hand out to the poor in the day and having gatherings with her remaining friends in the evenings.

On the fourth day Anne had had enough. If it had not been for Nan's gentle but firm reasoning, she would have gone to Henry's rooms again and to demand to get this over with. 

Nan had naively thought that he had changed his mind about the whole matter and was content to leave her as Queen. Anne was not as hopeful. When she mingled with the court she could feel the stares boring into her back from some of the King's closest friends who would be privy to what he was up to. She thought that Henry was most likely trying to find a way around annulling their marriage before she died without causing further scandal among the common people. Anne smiled grimly. Her words concerning Elizabeth's future had truly affected him.

She sent for Elizabeth to come to court that morning knowing that it may not have been the best idea for her to be around unfriendly courtiers at this time, but she had to see her daughter. If she rode out to Hatfield, she feared that some would think that she was trying to escape England. The thought did not cross her mind, for where was she to run to? She had no allies, no powerful friends.

She was alone.

She was reading in the gardens absorbing the sunshine when she heard the familiar shout of "Mama!"

Anne rose abruptly and turned to her daughter, her book quickly forgotten. Elizabeth was running to her as fast as her little legs could carry her. Quickly forgetting formal ceremony, Anne ran to her daughter and lifted her into her arms, revelling in the child's delighted giggles.

Anne always wondered why Katherine had fought so hard when Henry wanted his annulment, and it was not until she had given birth to Elizabeth she began to understand. She did not doubt that Katherine fought because she believed that their marriage was lawful and that she was indeed Queen, but Anne now thought that most of her fought for Mary's rights. 

From a young age Mary was the heiress presumptive and was told that she would one day be Queen from a young age, it must have been difficult for Katherine to realise that there was a good chance that Mary would not become Queen once she was recognised as a bastard. Anne had been impatient and could not understand why the woman did not make things easier for herself and her daughter by not fighting. 

Even now, if the roles were reversed then Anne would stand down in order to protect her daughter from her father's cruelty, even if she had to give up the chance of becoming Queen. But now Anne could understand why Katherine did not stop fighting. If she held out long enough, then she may have thought that Henry would realise his mistake and come back to her and proclaim Mary as a Princess again. The thought was a foolish one. Henry was not a man to admit he was wrong, and he would always want a son and proved how far he was willing to go to get one, regardless if he hurt his wife and child in the process. 

Katherine died alone and in poverty whilst her daughter served Elizabeth in Hatfield. A lesson that Anne had come to learn over the years of being Queen was that Henry would always love himself more than anyone else.

Whilst Anne would go to her death with an easier heart if it meant that her daughter was going to be safe and had a chance at becoming Queen one day, Anne feared that this was not the case. The Lady Mary still had many supporters that would not be happy to see Elizabeth still as a Princess, and even may try to get rid of her when she was older to make way for Mary to the throne. 

Once Henry had died and left no male issue leaving the throne to Elizabeth, Mary might even form a rebellion against her. She may claim to love her sister now, but Anne did not doubt that Mary would be ruthless in her attempt to take the throne. 

Regardless, she knew that the chances of it happening was slim.

The Seymour family was well known to sympathise with Lady Mary and would take the opportunity to persuade Henry to reinstate her as a Princess and into the line of succession. Henry could be very volatile at times and always let his emotions rule his decisions. He could decide to declare Mary legitimate any time and declare Elizabeth a bastard if he pleased. With Katherine dead, he would not have to return to her so he could marry whom he wished, there was nothing stopping him but his pride. Anne's death would have been for nothing if he declared their daughter a bastard. 

What kind of future would she have without Anne there to guide her? With Anne's death, all of her estates and title as Marquess of Pembroke would go to the crown leaving Elizabeth with nothing, especially if the King refused to acknowledge her as his daughter. It was too risky, a risk Anne could not bare to take. No, whilst Elizabeth may have a chance to become Queen with her death, it did not guarantee her safety.

This was what she could not understand about Katherine's decision. Why continue to fight a battle that you have already lost? Katherine should have told her daughter to yield to her father's demands for own safety. Henry had once said that he would try her for treason if not for the fatherly affection he has for her. Anne did not doubt that if she did not sign then Henry would do just that eventually once his patience ran out. She may not have become Queen, but she still could have been safe and happy, which was what Anne wanted for her daughter. Being a Princess or a Queen was just a title, and Anne had learnt these past few years that there were more important things in life than a fancy title.

Anne kissed the little girls cheeks and cried, "My Elizabeth! How I've missed you!" Anne held her closer and smiled. "You have gotten so big, my darling." 

Although she tried to see her daughter as much as she could, there were times when she did not see Elizabeth for months. Each time that she saw her, Elizabeth had grown so much. Two months ago her daughters hair was pure blond, now her hair was darkening with beautiful shades of red beginning to show. At under three years old, Anne could still manage to hold her daughter in her arms, though she was significantly heavier than the last time she held her like this. She craved for a time when Elizabeth would be too big to swing around anymore, and knew that it was unlikely to ever happen.

"I missed you too, Mama!" the child giggled holding onto her mother's neck tighter. "Lady Bryan said that I'm a big girl now, and she said I get to start my lessons when I'm three!" Elizabeth said smiling proudly.

Tears filled Anne's eyes as she looked at her daughter's beautiful innocence. To be excited to start her lessons and she would never see it! She would not see her third birthday! Anne had to bite her tongue to stop the tears from flowing. She spared a glance at Lady Bryan and said with a thick voice, "You may leave us, Lady Bryan." The governess curtsied and left her young charge with her mother. Anne dismissed her two ladies impatiently ignoring their curtsies. She wanted to be alone with her daughter. Being royalty meant that she never had any privacy. One could never be truly alone, and Anne could count the times on one hand when she and Elizabeth had been left alone together.

"Why are you sad, Mama?" Elizabeth asked quietly, her smile dropping. She didn't understand why her Mama was not happy. She was starting her lessons, she wanted to be as clever as her Mama was so she was very eager to learn. She maybe a big girl now but it upset her to see her Mama so sad. "Did I do something?"

Anne forced a smile onto her face and quickly reassured her, "I am not sad, my darling. Mama was just being silly, you did not do anything." The toddler looked far from convinced so Anne said, "Shall we go and walk by the ponds? We could look at the swans and see if we can spot any fish."

Elizabeth smiled widely and held onto Anne's neck tighter. "I love swans! But I only want to go if you carry me Mama." She maybe almost three, but big girls still needed to be held by their mamas sometimes.

Anne's grip tightened around her daughter. "I wouldn't have it any other way sweetheart."

Since Anne was a small child she always loved to be outside. She loved the feeling of the sun on her skin and the gentle breeze against her face in the summer. Before she was sent away to the Archduchess of Austria's court, Anne would spend many days playing in the gardens with George and Mary, even her father when he came back to Hever. Other times she was content to sit with a book outside for hours. When her father was away at court, Anne used to love to play in the rain. Her nursemaid would be furious when she would return sometime later dripping wet and covered in mud.

Elizabeth seemed to have inherited the same trait as her mother. As her daughter leant over the water fountain looking for fish, occasionally pointing out the odd fish which swam past and clapping in delight, Anne knelt on the ground, for once not thinking about her expensive gown, keeping a firm hold on her. It was for her own sake as well as Elizabeth's. The child could fall in if she got overexcited, which Elizabeth got very often, and leant too far over.

But more than anything she needed to feel her daughter close to her. She needed to smell the sweet scent of childish innocence and cherish the memory of it.

The gardens were deserted which was surprising on a warm spring day, though Anne was glad for the privacy. It was as if the whole court thought that she needed to see her daughter for a few hours in peace without the scornful gossip that followed her everywhere. 

It was most likely the last time she would see her.

"Mama! Look Mama a fishy!" Elizabeth clapped exuberantly and turned in her mothers arms. Her smile vanished and was replaced by a sad frown when she saw tears trailing down her Mama's cheeks. "Mama? Why are you crying?"

Anne touched her cheek gently, surprised to feel wetness upon her face. She smiled sadly at her daughter and shook her head. "It is nothing, my precious girl. Mama was just thinking about something sad."

Elizabeth frowned unhappily. Her Mama should not be sad. She should be happy like she always was when Elizabeth visited. She reached up and touched her Mama's face with her chubby hands and wiped the tears away and solemnly said, "Don't be sad Mama, I'm here!"

Anne closed her eyes in despair. How was she supposed to explain to a two and a half year old child that she was sad because this was likely to be the last time they would see one another? She pulled Elizabeth closer to her and stood up. "I am the most happy when you are here, Elizabeth. Never forget that."

Mother and daughter stood locked in their embrace for sometime. Anne did not bother to open her eyes when she heard footsteps, but her body did tense. Not now, not with Elizabeth here.

Anne reluctantly opened her eyes when she heard a throat being cleared. She expected guards to be there to take her to the tower, so seeing the Duke of Suffolk standing alone took her by surprise.

"Your Majesty, Your Highness" he said respectfully bowing low, though Anne thought that Charles Brandon did not respect her in the least. 

When Henry had been courting Anne, he did not seem to hate her as he did now. The Duke even seemed to support Henry in his quest for a divorce. When her father told her that Brandon had allied himself with them to bring down Wolsey in exchange for bringing him and his first wife, Margaret, back to court, Anne hoped that Brandon would have continued to help her become Queen. He would have been a good ally to have. As the King's closest friend he always had the King's ear, Brandon would have been able to strengthen the King's resolve to get his annulment. Alas, her hopes died as soon as Wolsey fell from grace.

The Duke distanced himself from the Boleyn's and the Howard's as soon as Wolsey was in the ground. Anne knew Margaret, Henry's sister, did not approve of her, and often wondered if it had been her influence that caused Brandon to despise her family. But when she died and he married the newest bitch Catherine Willoughby, his hate deepened. Anne knew that the girl was not a friend to her, her mother had been a lady in waiting to Katherine and would no doubt be loyal to the woman. Her hatred of Anne was not a secret at court, and quite possibly told her husband to destroy Anne whenever the opportunity came. Henry began asking her advice on important matters, not Brandon's. He suggested to Henry that Anne had been Thomas Wyatt's lover, which resulted in the Duke's banishment. That had been a time when Henry had loved her more than anything in this world and would have defended her honour to any man, even his best friend. When Brandon returned he seemed to have learnt his lesson on questioning her virtue, but that did not stop the looks of loathing he sent her way everyday.

When Anne became Queen, she treated the Duke with indifference until she began to fall from Henry's favour. Anne knew that Brandon was a dangerous enemy to have. When something went wrong between the royal couple, Brandon was always there whispering something scornful in Henry's ear to anger him further. As her influence over Henry declined, his increased. 

There was no doubt in Anne's mind that Charles Brandon had played a part in her downfall.

"Your Grace," she replied coolly.

"The King wishes to speak with you."

Anne raised an eyebrow condescendingly. "I did not realise that delivering messages was the duty of a Duke, Your Grace." Anne almost smiled when she saw his face contort in anger before turning back into a smooth mask. She looked down at Elizabeth and smiled reassuringly. "I must go and see your Papa, my darling girl. How about we look for Lady Bryan sweetheart?" Elizabeth nodded happily and motioned to be put down. Once she stood steadily on her feet, she took her Mama's hand and turned to walk away.

"That is not necessary, Your Majesty. I can escort Princess Elizabeth to her nursery-"

Anne laughed shortly without sparing him a glance. "With all due respect, Your Grace, but if you think I am about to leave my daughter with you, then I may have overestimated your intelligence." 

Brandon's jaw clenched in suppressed anger and Anne relished in it. "His Majesty made it clear that he wished to speak with you right away, Your Majesty. I am perfectly capable of seeing the Princess to her nursery."

"I am sure you are, Your Grace. If Henry has you acting like his errand boy, I’m sure that you would have no objections to playing nursemaid to his child as well, " Anne replied as she towed her daughter away. She met Brandon’s gaze and raised a condensing eyebrow at him. Elizabeth’s curious eyes burned holes into her, but she ignored her. "But I would like to see my daughter there myself-"

The Duke followed her and wrapped a hand around her arm and pulled her to a stop. He leaned down and for an absurd moment, all she could think about was how blue his eyes were. She had never spent much time thinking about Charles Brandon, only to think of him as Henry’s lapdog. But in that moment, she noticed just what it was that caused all of the ladies at court to fall over themselves to get him into their beds.

"My God, woman!” he hissed, his cool breath caressing her cheeks. His hand tightened around her further. “It is not as though I would harm the child!"

Not looking away from the Duke, Anne let go of her daughter’s hand. "Elizabeth, go and sit on the bench please."

"Why?"

"Because I am asking you."

"But Mama-"

"Now, Elizabeth!"

Elizabeth frowned unhappily, her Mama rarely raised her voice at her and she did not like it when she shouted like that. It must have been the mean man who upset her. He would not do as Mama said, and everyone must do as her Mama says because she was the Queen. Elizabeth scowled at the Duke but made her way over to the bench.

Once she was out of earshot, Anne embraced her anger. “You forget yourself, Your Grace. Who do you think you are, Your Grace, to speak to me in such a manner? I am still your Queen and you will address me as such."

She yearned to strike him across his face for everything that was happening to her. She did not want to have to pretend that everything was okay in front of her daughter and her ladies all of the time, she needed an outlet for her anger and pain, and the Duke of Suffolk was the only person who she could unleash her anger on. She knew that he hated her, she knew that she had not behaved accordingly in the past, but surely they were not reasons for her to be put to death. 

"As long as my head is still attached to my neck you will treat me with the respect I deserve, is that understood?" Anne laughed harshly. "Then again, thanks to you and the rest of the King's lapdogs I'm sure that it will not be long before I am a head shorter. But until then, Your Grace, I suggest that you learn some manners." Brandon’s hand fell from her arm in surprise. She regarded his speechless form coldly for several minutes and when it appeared he had nothing to say, Anne huffed impatiently and turned away from him.

His large hand caught her arm once again before she could move.

She looked back at him in surprise as he quietly said, "I never meant for this to happen." 

Shaking her head sadly, Anne did not doubt the his sincerity, but it meant nothing to her now. “Tell me, Your Grace, what did you think would happen when you whispered your poisonous lies into the King’s ear?” When she got no answer, Anne shook his arm off of her and ignored the tightness behind her eyes. She would not cry in front of this man.

“Save your apologies,” she said softly. “They mean nothing to me.”

"Come along Elizabeth," she called. Elizabeth took her mother's hand in silence and tried to keep up with her quick footsteps. She turned back to look at the gardens but her attention was caught by the mean man who was watching them walk away.

ii

Henry Tudor was not a patient man. The only time that Henry was willing to be patient was during his courtship with Anne. He was determined to honour her by waiting until they were married before sharing her bed, and though they gave into their passion a few months before they were married, Henry had waited seven years for her. 

When Anne gave birth to Elizabeth instead of the son she promised, his impatience got the better of him. He needed a son, and he could not wait long for one. Anne had only given him another daughter, whose legitimacy was questioned, and two miscarriages. Surely it was a sign from God that this union was not a true one. Anne may still be able to have children or she could be barren, but no matter how much they had once loved one another, Henry was unwilling to take the chance of being married to a woman who may never give him a son.

He had done once before. He could not afford to do it again.

"Her Majesty the Queen," his herald announced, shaking him from his thoughts.

Anne walked in alone with her head held high before sweeping into a curtsy murmuring, "Your Majesty." Henry noticed that she walked with a confidence that had been missing from her step for the last couple of years. She looked like a Queen, beautiful, confident and graceful. Henry almost felt guilty for what he was about to do.

He offered her his hand helping her up from her curtsy, something he had not done in years. Anne masked her face into a smooth mask and snatched her hand away as soon as she was standing. She reminded herself that just because he occasionally chose to act like the man she fell in love with, he was not him. 

This was the man who would see her to his death in his quest to have a son.

The silence was tense as husband and wife regarded one another. Anne could not believe that things were going to end like this. If someone had told her three years ago that she was to die for being unable to give the King a son, she would have laughed. She understood that Henry wanted a son to secure the Tudor dynasty and Anne was sure that she could give him a son, she was still sure that she could give him one eventually, but she was never given the time. She had naively believed that Henry loved her more than anything, and would wait as long as he had to for his son.

The only thing Henry loved was himself.

Maybe her father had been right, maybe she should not have let herself fall in love with the spoilt King. If Henry took lovers would she have cared if she had not loved him? But how could she have not fallen in love with him? He was everything she dreamed about as a girl, the passion and love that she craved. Would she have survived being married to someone she did not love?

Anne collected herself and regarded him coolly. He seemed to understand she would not speak to him, after all, what more was there to say?

"I do not believe you are guilty of the allegations made against you," Henry said, his voice formal as if talking to a stranger, not the woman he loved for ten years. "It pained me deeply to hear the rumour of your behaviour, however I had to have these allegations investigated. After our… discussion I looked into the evidence myself and after hearing you speak of it, I realised that you could never have taken a lover. You will not stand trial, you shall live," he spoke softly, as it she should be giving him thanks for not letting her die.

Anne wanted to laugh. Why should she give him her gratitude for sparing her life when he had no reason to condemn her to death in the first place? 

She knew that his words held no truth. Anne was sure that when Cromwell told him of her supposed behaviour that Henry was grateful for a way out of their marriage. He wanted her to be guilty. Anne knew that her words about Elizabeth and the people's reaction had affected him. She realised the reason why the guards never came was because he could not find a way to make Elizabeth a bastard and kill Anne without causing a public outcry, not because Henry changed his mind and wanted to give her another chance. 

Part of her hated herself for still hoping that Henry still loved her, but a bigger part of her hated him.

Anne looked away from him in disgust and murmured quietly, "Your Majesty is very gracious."

"Things cannot continue the way that they are, Anne." She flinched at hearing her name fall from his lips. "I need a son, and so far you have failed to give me one."

"May I speak freely, Your Majesty?" Henry waved his hand indicating that she could. "I am Your Majesty's most humble and loyal subject. You raised me from a lady to a Queen, and I shall be forever grateful. I still believe that I can give you a son, but if it is your wish to annul our marriage, then I will comply if it pleases you." Although she hated to sound so submissive to him, Anne knew that she would have to be careful if she wanted to keep Elizabeth in his favour. Anne knew that her time as Queen was coming to an end, and though part of her was sad that it had not worked out for her, another part was glad to be escaping with her life.

Henry raised his eyebrows in surprise. He expected her to at least attempt to persuade him to keep her as his Queen, to even fight against an annulment as Katherine had. "It pleases me greatly. For your cooperation, you will be known as the Marquess of Pembroke, and Elizabeth will be known as the Lady Elizabeth and will be welcomed to court as my acknowledged daughter."

"I have one request, Your Majesty. I would like for Elizabeth to live with me. I would be willing to live in one of my manors closer to London rather than Pembroke, if it pleases you Your Majesty." Anne had always hated living apart from Elizabeth, she wanted to watch her daughter grow up with her own eyes, not have to listen to reports on how she was doing.

"Of course," Henry said. Although Anne had agreed to an annulment, she still had the power to make the situation difficult. If letting their daughter live with her was what it took to keep her happy then he would do it.

Anne smiled. "Thank you, Your Majesty. Then I will gladly do anything as you please." She curtsied to him once more and leaving before he could reply. Henry frowned in bewilderment. When had the fiery woman he once loved become so willing to please him? He almost looked forward to having an argument with her. There were times when Henry had taken pleasure from their arguments in the past, and more recently it had pleased him when he saw his wife in distress knowing that she feared him.

Henry pushed thoughts about Anne away. He could marry his sweet Jane soon. Once he had gotten divorced from the woman who had been the object of his affection for ten years, he would finally have his son.

Although Henry would never admit it, not even to himself, he was going to miss her.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edited 1/15

The days after agreeing to an annulment were peaceful, but Anne's euphoria at keeping her life dimmed quickly. Anne kept to her quarters and did not mix with the rest of the court apart from her ladies and maids. While she doubted that many knew about her standing down as Queen, Anne was sure that there were to be rumors. Besides, after her second miscarriage Anne knew that the courtiers only thought that it was a matter of time until she was cast aside. She did not want the delighted and smug looks pointed her way by her enemies or the pitying looks from the few friends she had. Anne had not seen or heard from Henry since their discussion had taken place. She assumed that he was holed up somewhere with Cromwell making the arrangements for their annulment.

Anne spent her days in quiet solitude partly thankful for escaping with her life and partly wondering how everything went wrong. Three years ago they were so happy, so in love. She had known that Henry was a fickle man, but she loved him anyway. If she had not loved him, would she still be Queen of England? Was her children dying and her inability to produce a son her punishment for pushing Catherine off the throne? Was she doing the right thing? By allowing herself to live, she was making Elizabeth a bastard. Anne could protect her daughter alive, could make sure that she had a happy life. But if she died, Elizabeth would remember her mother as a whore, but she could still have a chance at succeeding the throne. Anne knew her daughter would make a fine ruler, but did she want that lonely life for her? The thoughts almost drove her insane and Anne was grateful for being allowed to leave court soon. Maybe living in the country with her daughter would help her see things more clearly.

She could not stand to think about the smug looks on the Seymour's faces. If Mistress Seymour could keep Henry's attention for a few more months then she could be the next Queen of England. It was more than likely. Whilst Cromwell may push for a royal match with a foreign Princess, he was in league with the Seymour's and may push for Mistress Seymour to become Queen. The English hated foreigners, and it could take years for an agreement to be made when arranging a royal match. Henry would want to be married now in order to produce a child. Jane Seymour would be the suitable candidate in Cromwell's opinion, even if they did not agree on religious views, the girl would never interfere with his work. The girl was everything that Anne was not. Obedient, uneducated, meek. Jane Seymour would never challenge Henry, and that would keep her head attached to her shoulders. The Seymour slut was smarter than Anne had given her credit for. She knew what Henry wanted, a good loyal wife, the opposite of what the passionate Anne Boleyn was.

Jane Seymour would never love Henry half as much as Anne did, and because of that she would be safe once the crown was on her head. As long as she could give Henry his son.

Anne hoped that the woman failed.

Nobody bothered her for days. Visitors had stopped coming long ago, and apart from her ladies curious glances and whispered conversations about why she was not mingling with the court, Anne was left alone. Her family must not have known what she had done, her father would soon as beat her than to allow her to stand aside, whether she was Queen or not. She was surprised at first that Henry had not announced her retirement, but she was glad of it. Maybe he would allow her to go quietly. She imagined that he would be celebrating for finally ridding himself of his wife easily and was thankful for his discretion. It was already bad enough that she had failed in giving him a son and losing his love, she did not need the fact that a meek country girl had stolen her husband and crown rubbed in her face. The Seymour's will be ecstatic when they hear the news, Anne only hoped that she had left London when the court found out. At least she did not have to see the Seymour slut in her rooms anymore. The girl had not been in Anne's presence for days now, she could only assume that Henry had told her to stay away so not to tarnish her perfect reputation.

It was with a heavy heart she left the sanctuary of her chamber when Anne was summoned to discuss the terms of the annulment. There had to be rumors about why the Queen had been confined to her rooms. Was she in some form of trouble or was she ill? Anne had no desire to see the looks which were bound to come her way.

As she stepped into Henry's chambers, she was pleasantly surprised to see only Henry, Cromwell and Cranmer and could not help glance around the room twice. Anne expected to see the Seymour's smug faces along with Suffolk's whilst she finally admitted defeat. She was grateful to Henry for not having them there. It was bad enough to see the barely concealed joy in Cromwell's cold eyes and the sadness in Cranmer's, but seeing Henry's emotionless face almost broke Anne's heart once more.

And that was when Anne realised she had done the right thing in suggesting an annulment before she was killed. Being at court with all the games of seduction and manipulation was not a place she wanted Elizabeth to be. Anne could protect her from this, whether she was in the King's favour or not. She could protect Elizabeth from her father. Elizabeth would still inherit all of the lands that Anne owned after her death and would become a very wealthy woman.

The pain it cause Anne to see Henry look at her with dead eyes, the shame she felt at not being able to hold onto the crown, the anger at being replaced by Jane Seymour and the joy the court was bound to feel when they found out she was no longer Queen, none of it mattered. As long as her daughter was safe, that was all that mattered.

Anne Boleyn was not one to give up, but giving up her marriage was the one thing she knew she had to do.

So Anne finally let out a true smile for the first time in days and dropped into a curtsy. "Your Majesty."

Anne returned to her chambers in a daze.

It was over. The task she had been assigned ten years ago had finally come to an end. And she had failed to complete it. Anne Boleyn was no longer the Queen of England.

She was angry with herself, with Henry, with the entire situation. But what other choice did she have if she wanted to keep her life? She had lost to the Seymours, and there was naught to be done about it.

But a secret part of herself was glad to be done with it all. For the first time in years, she was safe once again. She could live out her life in the peaceful country, and whilst she may not have a husband who loved her or sons, she still had her precious daughter.

No, it may not be the life she had dreamed about as a child, but it was still a life.

Henry had been very generous considering the circumstances. She had expected to go back to being the Marquess of Pembroke, but Henry had elevated her to the Duchess of Pembroke making her one of the wealthiest women in the country. Henry also settled on her several more estates as well as letting her keep the ones he had gifted her with during their courtship along with all of the gifts he had given her, and had even settled on her a few monasteries to do with what she wished. Anne had to refrain from giving Cromwell a sly smile when he announced it.

For the first time in a long while, Anne was feeling very thankful towards Henry. Although she did not want to be in this situation in the first place, Henry could easily have left her with nothing.

By the time the papers were signed and Cranmer had finished reciting the grounds for the annulment, Anne was ready to leave. There was no last goodbye from Henry, no lingering looks. Everything was very formal. She asked permission to leave court as soon as possible and was granted easily enough. She asked for arrangements to be made for Elizabeth to be prepared to leave Hatfield and that was the only time Henry seemed ready to confront her.

"You gave me your word that Elizabeth would live with me, Your Majesty," Anne interrupted when she saw Henry was about to argue against her. "You have already taken enough away from me, do not take my daughter as well."

Henry's jaw clenched. "Very well. Arrangements shall be made when you have selected a manor to reside in."

Anne had thanked him kindly enough, but was secretly thrilled that she could still get a response from him. He was not as emotionless as he tried to make out.

Anne's ladies were just as she had left them as she swept into the room. They all dropped into curtsies upon her entrance and Anne smiled somewhat sadly. Although not all of her ladies were loyal to her, there were a few that Anne would miss when she left.

"As of today, I am no longer the Queen of England," Anne announced with a sparkle in her eye. She revelled in the shocked gasps and murmurs floating around the room. "The King and I have annulled our marriage. Whilst it saddens me to do so, I am leaving court. I would be very grateful if you could pack my belongings and have them ready for departure as soon as possible." When some ladies, namely Jane Parker and other Seymour supporters, stood still and continued to stare at her, Anne raised a threatening eyebrow. "You are still in my service until I leave court. If you hesitate to disobey me again I will have you dismissed from court. Permanently." Anne smiled when the few remaining ladies quickly began packing.

She may not be Queen anymore, but Anne still had enough power to frighten others. Being the Duchess of Pembroke may not be as bad as she first thought.

Once she had ordered her ladies and maids to begin packing her belongings, Anne realised it was only a small amount of time until the whole court knew. Whilst some of her ladies maybe fond of her, they were not known for their discretion.

She only had hours to tell her family before they found out from another. Anne knew she owed her family nothing, especially her father, but she thought some form of warning was fair. It was humiliating enough to stand down as Queen, but she could at least bow down with some dignity. She could only hope her family would follow in her footsteps.

Of course, she knew this was too much to ask for her temperamental father.

"Why? Why would you do this?" Thomas Boleyn shouted at his daughter who seemed too busy going through her vast amount of jewellery to be listening to him in his opinion. "All you had to do was shut your mouth and turn your head the other way and you would have been fine! Not only have you shamed us by standing aside, the King will no doubt take our titles away-"

Anne laid down the necklace gently before turning to her father with shrewd eyes. "Oh Father, stop before you give yourself a nose bleed. The King will not take away any of your titles or land. He made me a Duchess just for going quietly! And if you are wise you will do the same and bow down gracefully. You have gained far more that you ever set out to achieve when you pushed me into his bed. For ten years I have been your puppet and played things your way, but your ambitions are going to get us killed! He was already trying to make allegations against me! We are lucky to be escaping with our lives."

Anne regarded her father with cold eyes. It was hard to see the man who had once spent many hours playing with her and her siblings in the gardens of Hever in her father anymore. Had greed and power made him this cold, the thrill of being the King's father-in-law and the many lands that had been gifted to him over the last decade gone to his head? He had not always been this way, as a child he had cherished Anne over Mary and George. He gave her the best education that was possible for his witty daughter, he obtained her places in foreign courts, all of which helped her to become the woman that she was today. He gave her the best start of life that he could, and although he had used her to prolong his advancement, he was still her father. They had risen together, and now they would fall together. It was for that reason alone that she did not order him out of her rooms.

"I do not wish to argue with you, Papa," Anne said quietly, using the old familiar term that she hadn't used in a long time hoping that it may soften him a little. "You may not like my decision, but it is for the best. The King does not think that I can give him a son and will find the easiest way to be rid of me. You may want to take a gamble which could cost my life, but I do not." Although it pained Anne to admit it, her father would never have let her stand down as Queen if he had known before she confronted Henry, even knowing that their entire family could be in danger, his pride would never let him back down. They had gone into this game with high stakes, for Thomas Boleyn it was all or nothing.

She didn't have the strength to play the game anymore.

"We need to cut our losses now whilst we have time to escape," Anne said gently. Boleyn stared at his daughter for a moment before turning away and stomping towards the door without a word. Anne flinched as the door slammed shut behind him. She sighed quietly and willed the tears away. She knew it was hard for him, but she had foolishly hoped for a little sympathy from her father. He worried about losing his titles and his influential place in court, whereas Anne had lost her title, her daughter's title, and her husband.

She refused to spill anymore tears for Henry. She was relieved to be keeping her life, but it didn't stop the pain of losing the man she had loved.

ii

Anne could almost hear the sigh of relief from the courtiers when she left court.

She could understand why. Many of them had hated her the moment Henry showed interest in her. Women were jealous that he no longer spent time in their beds, men were jealous that she had his favor. Henry had changed many things about England in order to make her Queen, especially the Church. With Anne now off the throne, many were hoping that Henry would rejoin the Pope and restore Mary to her former title. Anne knew that their hope was in vain. Henry would never admit that he was wrong about Mary being a bastard, and he would not renounce his claim to being the Head of the Church of England now that he had had a taste of the power. Many people, especially the Catholics, were going to be disappointed.

The Seymours did little to hide their glee at her departure. It was already well known that Henry would likely take the slut as his wife, Anne was only thankful that he did not propose whilst she was still at court. Still, the slut could barely contain her smile when Anne had passed her. Anne had merely raised an eyebrow at her before the girl shrank back. The girl would not keep Henry's interest for long, if she wanted to wear the Queen's crown then she would have to act fast. To be replaced by a girl so meek and uneducated stung her pride.

If she had lost to Katherine then she would have been humiliated, but she would have lost to a Princess of Spain. Instead she lost to a girl who could barely write her own name.

Cromwell had appeared as composed as ever, but Anne knew him well enough to see the jubilation in his eyes. Her old ally was glad to see her fall. Chapuys was another who did little to hide his smile. Is she was a bigger person, Anne would hope that Lady Mary did get restored to her former position as Princess. Henry no longer had any legitimate children, he was leaving himself and England in a very precarious position if he were to die.

As it was, Anne prayed the girl would remain a bastard as her precious Elizabeth was to be. Although she was sorry for some of the pain she had caused Katherine's daughter, she prayed that she would never become Queen and would do everything in her power to make sure that it never happened. The girl would have Anne and possibly even Elizabeth on the chopping block if she were to become Queen in order to protect her throne. Mary Tudor did not make things easy for herself these past few years and lived a painful life because of it. In her opinion, the villain in her story would always be Anne Boleyn, the girl who seduced her father away from his wife.

She did not see Henry. Part of her was glad not to have to see him staring at her with such hatred in his eyes. Another part of her, a small foolish part, had hoped that he would announce that he was wrong, that she was still his wife and that he loved only her. She knew it was naïve of her, but the part of her that was still the young hopeful girl he had first fallen in love with had not wanted to let him go. Now that she had given up hope, she would never see him in that light again. He was not the man who worshiped her, he was a cold calculating King who wanted nothing but a son.

Whilst she did have many enemies who were glad to see her go, Anne also had her friends and family. Her uncle, the Duke of Norfolk had been wise enough to distance himself from the Boleyns when they began to lose favor. Still, it seemed he was sad to see Anne leave, even offering her a rare smile. Her father had ignored her, but her brother and her cousin the Earl of Surrey even bowed to her as if she was still Queen. Cranmer had kissed her hand reverently. Her ladies had openly wept at her departure, save the Seymour girls and Jane Parker. Nan Saville had even left her position at court and was to be the head of her household at her new residence. Seeing some of her loyal friends such as Mark Smeaton, Thomas Wyatt and Henry Norris had risen her spirits some.

The Duke of Suffolk held out a hand to help her into the carriage. Anne looked at Brandon with impassive eyes and hid her surprise well when she did not see the joy in his eyes as she had expected. His face was carefully cleared of all emotion when he nodded to her respectfully. She took his hand and inclined her head.

The past few minutes kept swirling around in her head as she sat alone in her carriage as it left the palace. It was official, it was over. She was no longer married. She was no longer Queen. Anne barely noticed the crowd that had gathered outside the palace to see her off. She did not need to hear the usual insults that were being thrown her way. It wasn't until they had passed the gates did she listen to the shouts of "God save Queen Anne and Princess Elizabeth!" and other praises being shouted her way. She even heard women calling Jane a whore! For the first time in weeks Anne gave a peal of laughter and waved in thanks.

Since Elizabeth's birth, she knew that Henry had affairs with women. Mistress Seymour was different though. Seeing her bat her lashes at Henry made her quiver in anger. But seeing him staring at her with such devotion in his eyes that day several months ago when he kissed her had broken Anne's heart. He had once looked at her that way, and now he looked at another. It was that moment that Anne realised how dangerous Jane Seymour really was. Maybe she should not have gotten in such a state over seeing Henry kissing the slut. Henry chided her for not walking away, for not acting more like Katherine had. But Katherine had never loved him like Anne did. Henry was everything to her, and seeing him being tender to that slut when he barely tolerated his pregnant wife hurt her so much. She knew that he spent time with her, but seeing it was another thing entirely. Henry had broken her that day, and it resulted in the death of her unborn son. It was a memory that would never leave her. No, Anne would never forgive Henry and Jane Seymour for what happened to her son, but hearing the crowds insult the girl made her feel better.

How ironic, she thought. Five years ago it was Katherine who was being sent away and the crowds were calling Anne the whore! The support she was getting was unfathomable. Hearing how she was being pushed off the throne for another girl and the support for being the wronged woman was music to her ears. Who could have imagined the public's reaction after her almost silent coronation? She had imagined they would be glad to see her go, never had she imagined this.

Her smile grew impossibly wider as she imagined Henry's reaction to the crowds cheers. Life away from court was beginning to look more desirable with each passing minute.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edited 1/15

When news reached her that the King had remarried, Anne could not catch her breath for a moment. The letter from her brother did not go into much detail. All that was said was the King and Mistress Seymour had married, though she had not been crowned Queen yet. It seemed that Henry wanted a son from her before she officially became Queen. The wedding was a public affair with all of court attending and crowds on the streets, far from the rushed, secret union in a small chapel three years ago which only became knowledge through rumors and gossip.

Even though she had expected it, it was still a painful blow to Anne. He picked Jane Seymour, a girl who could barely write her own name, over she who had grown up in Austria and France, whose intelligence rivaled that of any man she had met, to be his Queen. If Henry had married a foreign Princess, at least she had been replaced by royal blood, somebody worthy.

But then any English maiden would have been better than Jane Seymour.

She could not bare to think of that woman as Elizabeth's stepmother. She would be content to never let her daughter lay eyes on the woman. The woman would no doubt support the Lady Mary and would take any opportunity presented to return the stubborn girl to favour. It was only at night that she allowed herself to think about the wretched woman taking her place. She had dreamed of what could have happened if she had been executed. The Lady Mary being reinstated, Jane Seymour giving birth to sons, Elizabeth calling that horrid woman Mother.

She seethed in rage and bitterness and for the first time in weeks cursed herself for letting this woman beat her. Not only had she taken her husband, she was to take her title!

And then her daughter came running to her in a fit of giggles and clutched at her skirts making Anne smile in delight and all thoughts of her former husband and his wench flew from her head. She may not be the Queen of England anymore, but now she was a mother, a title much more honourable than Queen.

It had been a simple task explaining to Elizabeth that she was no longer a Princess and that her mother was no longer the Queen. Her daughter was more intelligent than she could ever have imagined. She had constantly received reports from Lady Bryan when she lived in Hatfield telling her of her daughter's progress and her intelligence. Anne had always thought the woman was exaggerating in hope of more praise, but that had not been the case. Elizabeth was smarter than any child her age. But explaining to her daughter that her father had a new wife, a new Queen, was not as simple.

"But Mama, why is there a new Queen? Why can't you be Queen like before?" her daughter had asked, frowning in confusion.

Because your Papa was going to cut off my head to make his latest whore his wife in hope that the slut would give him a son. "I do not wish to be Queen any longer, sweetheart. Your Papa need's a son to become the next King when Papa goes to heaven. I couldn't give your Papa a son, my darling. Do you understand?"

The girl pouted but nodded her head gravely. "Yes Mama. But I don't like her. The Queen."

Anne had to repress a smile. Whilst she wanted to commend her daughter on her good judgement without even meeting the woman, she did not want to risk Henry's anger over his daughter insulting his new wife. He would think it was Anne whispering poisonous thoughts to their daughter in hopes of using her to get to him. She could not afford for Henry to think that Elizabeth was nothing but respectful to his wife. If Henry ever thought that Elizabeth hated the woman or their children, she hated to think what he would do to their daughter. "You do not have to like her Elizabeth, but do not tell anyone how you feel about her. You must respect her as she is now your Queen. Your Papa loves her very much and would be very angry to hear you speak ill of her. Do you understand?"

If Henry actually managed to get a son from the woman, which Anne thought was highly unlikely, he would not stand for anything said against the child. If for one moment Henry thought that Anne was encouraging their daughter to rebel against him and his new family, he would not hesitate to get rid of her regardless what the public thought. If Henry ever got the idea that Anne would try to usurp his son off the throne and place their daughter there in his stead, then Henry might even go as far to execute their daughter to protect the throne, no matter how much he loved her, he would not let anything threaten the succession. She would never let that happen, even if it meant encouraging her daughter to respect the woman who she despised.

Elizabeth nodded solemnly. "I understand Mama."

ii

Compared to the life of a Queen, Anne's days were simple. Although she had her estates to manage, overseeing Elizabeth's education and was finalising her plans for the monasteries Henry gave her in the divorce, Anne found that she had much spare time during her day. Afternoons and dinner were spent with Elizabeth or with visitors or the occasional ride across her lands.

The monasteries that were bestowed upon her after the divorce were being transformed into schools for intelligent boys from poor families. Thousands of children were destined to the life of farming because they had no way to gain an education, and though she would not be able to help all of them, Anne hoped that the schools which were being prepared would give an education to some of them and a chance to be something more than a farmer when they were older.

Whilst she had wanted the corrupt monasteries to be closed after being fully investigated by Cromwell, she did not agree that the land should be sold and the funding going to the crown, and no doubt in Cromwell's pocket as well. There had been no need to close some monasteries, but Cromwell had them shut down anyway to further his own greed. The Reformation was not welcome in England at this time, and closing down monasteries that actually helped their community was doing the Reformation more harm than good. Families were left worse off than they originally had been. Anne had tried to persuade Cromwell and even the King when she was in his favour to find a use for the monasteries to further help commoners and to show that they could still benefit from the dissolution of the monasteries, but it was to no avail.

But now she did not need Henry's permission. With the generous amount of money Henry had bestowed upon her and donations from noble families who remained friends to her or supported her cause, Anne had no problem funding her schools For the first time in her life, she was free to do as she desired.

The relationship she had formed with her daughter was stronger than she could ever imagine. When Elizabeth was a babe and Henry had told her that she could feed her child from her breast, Anne realised that she was only Elizabeth's mother in name. A Queen was not a mother, she bore the child until the babe was strong enough to survive alone, and then the child's attendants took over. She was not the one to feed her, to dress her, to bathe her. Anne only saw her daughter when she was dressed up, happy and ready to play the perfect Princess, she was naught but a visitor to her daughter. It was then that Anne pushed aside her burning desire to be a mother. She had done her father's bidding, and was now paying the price for it.

Now Anne had the chance to see her daughter everyday. She watched her daughter eat, fall asleep and have some very amusing tantrums. When her daughter did something naughty, it was to her mother she apologised to, not her governess. She read to her, played with her and dressed her. She was truly Elizabeth's mother now.

She loved her simple life in the country, but a secret part of her missed court life. Since she was a girl she had been mingled in court life, be it in Austria, France or England. She revelled in the drama, the gossip, the magnificent feasts and dances. She had always been a very social person after being raised in courts. She had thrown dances and parties when Henry was courting her, especially during the years there was no Queen residing at court and the early part of their marriage. Even those who hated her had tried to win her favor in those days.

She felt lonely in the country, and though she still had ladies fussing around her and servants at her beck and call, she longed to have a crowd around her as she once had as they watched her in admiration and jealousy. There was one thing that Anne could not deny. She loved to be the centre of attention.

ii

When she lived in Hatfield, Elizabeth rarely got to see her Mama. She had lived with Lady Bryan, her old governess who was kind but very stern, and her ladies. As a Princess of England, Elizabeth had lived very grandly in her short life. She was different from other children because her Papa was the King of England, and her Mama the Queen. From since she could remember Lady Bryan had explained to her what was to be expected of her, how she should curtsy to her mother and father, how she was supposed to greet visitors, how one day she would marry a man of her father's choosing. She had the most expensive gowns and toys made for her and had lots of servants and ladies to look after her.

But everything was different now.

She lived with her Mama now in a grand house with beautiful gardens where she would play with her Mama. Elizabeth loved living with her Mama. She got to see her everyday and her Mama would play with her and read to her. Lady Bryan would not let her play all afternoon, but her Mama did. She would have her lessons in the morning while her Mama did grown up things, and then her Mama would spend the whole afternoon with her. When she had lived in Hatfield, Elizabeth missed her parents dearly, she was happy to be living with her Mama.

She was not a Princess anymore. Her Mama had explained to her that because she was no longer married to Papa, her mama was not Queen anymore and she was not a Princess. She was now the Duchess of Pembroke, and Elizabeth was now the Lady Elizabeth. She did not mind being the Lady Elizabeth, as long as she got to stay with her Mama she was happy.

She could live without being a Princess as long as she continued to have the best toys and the prettiest gowns. Elizabeth and her Mama were very happy living together, but she missed her Papa.

Elizabeth had not seen her Papa in a long time. When she was a Princess, Lady Bryan told her that because her Papa was the King, he was awfully busy and could not come to see her as much as he would like. He would always send her gifts though, but she had not received a gift from her father for months. The last time she was at court her Papa did not come and see her. He always came to see her. He would swing her up into his arms and greet her in front of all of his subjects. Had she been bad? She did not think she had, but what other reason did he have to not see her?

After months of speculation and waiting to hear from her father, Elizabeth finally asked her mother.

"Mama," Elizabeth said hesitantly. They were sitting outside in the warm August sun. It was just the two of them, her Mama had sent her attendants and her ladies away for the afternoon. Although she was only a little girl, she knew that her mother did not like to speak of her Papa very much. She always looked sad when she mentioned him, especially when they first arrived at their new home, but it had been a while since they had last spoken of him. When she was last at court, she knew her Mama was very sad, but she seemed happy living with her now. Elizabeth did not want to upset her Mama, but she missed her Papa so much. "Does Papa not love us anymore?"

As soon as the words were out of her young daughter's mouth, Anne's whole body filled with dread. She put the book she had been reading aside and looked at her daughter carefully. She had grown quite a bit in the months they had been living together. Her lovely blond hair was starting to show signs of turning auburn. Anne could not believe that her daughter was soon to be turning three years old. She was growing too fast. She knew that her daughter was intelligent, Lady Bryan was always delighted to tell her how clever the little girl was, but living under the same roof as her had shown Anne just how bright she truly was.

Anne had spent the past months trying to convince her daughter that everything was fine. Everything really was fine, she was alive and lived with her daughter in a beautiful estate and had more money than they could possibly ever need. But Henry's absence in their lives had left an impact. She tried to distract Elizabeth from her father's absence, but looking down into her daughter's round face, she knew that she had not succeeded.

"Why would you say such a thing sweetheart?" Anne pulled Elizabeth onto her lap and rocked her gently. While she knew without a doubt that Henry no longer loved her, she knew that he still loved his daughter. Even if he had deluded himself into thinking that she may not have been his when they had last met, he would never be able to deny that he loved her. Even after everything the Lady Mary had done, he still loved her. Elizabeth was his jewel and easily charmed anyone who came into her path, especially her father.

"He does not come to see me anymore, Mama," Elizabeth whispered.

"Oh sweetheart. Of course your Papa still loves you. You know he is very busy, Elizabeth and we no longer live close to the palace anymore, it would be quite a ride for him to come would it not? He would visit you all the time if he could."

"Does he not come to visit me because I am not a Princess anymore, Mama?"

"No. Your Papa loves you as much as he always has. It does not matter if you are a Princess or a Lady, sweetheart, we will always love you. Elizabeth, there are things you are too young to understand, but when you are older I promise I will tell you everything. You have done nothing wrong, my sweet girl. Do you understand?"

"Yes Mama." She was silent for a while seeming to mull over her mother's words.

"Do you think he will send me presents for my birthday?"

"Of course he will," Anne replied. She hoped that it was not a lie. Although she hoped that Henry had gotten over most of his anger towards her, she could not be sure that this was not the case. If he was still angry at her defiance, she could only hope that he would not punish their daughter anymore than he already had by ignoring her birthday.

"Do you think he will come and see me, mama?" Elizabeth asked a little more hopefully. Anne's heart sank a little. She could not see Henry wanting to spend time with their daughter if he knew that she were to be there.

"Maybe, but it is very unlikely Elizabeth," Anne said gently, not wanting to get the little girl's hopes up. Elizabeth smiled and seemed pacified for now, but Anne knew the girl would be asking questions again soon if the King didn't acknowledge his daughter. Losing the King's love was a painful experience, and it was one that Anne prayed that her daughter never had to live through. Anne could only pray that Henry opened up his black heart a little for their daughter.

ii

That night Nan went to her Lady's quarters to help prepare her for bed. She found her sitting by a roaring fire staring at an unopened letter. "It is a letter from court, but I do not think it is from my brother. I think it maybe from Master Cromwell, it looks too important to be from my friends or family does it not? I cannot help but be apprehensive, considering all that has happened." Her voice was naught but a murmur and her eyes never left the letter. Nan wondered if her mistress realised her presence, but Anne's eyes flicked up to hers and she smiled grimly. "But when have I ever been a coward? Master Cromwell and his King can not hurt me any longer." She tore the letter open. A frown happened upon her face and grew deeper and deeper with each word. Anne let out a pained sound and the letter she had been reading fluttered to the floor.

"What is it, my Lady?" Nan asked. Her mistress looked at her, and for a second

Nan saw her horrified eyes before all emotion was wiped from her face.

By looking at her, not many would know that something was troubling her. Ten years of being the subject of stares and scornful whispers had taught her mistress to wear an emotionless mask in front of her courtiers. If any of their cruel whispers bothered her, she would not let anybody know it. There was always somebody who looked for a weakness in Anne Boleyn, but they would never find one. It was a mask that Nan hadn't seen in months, and was one that she hadn't wanted to see again. She had been by Anne's side throughout the King's courtship, when he loved her like no other man could love another, she had held her friend's hand when she gave birth to her daughter, she had comforted her friend when the King grew tired of her and took mistresses, and she had been with her when all hope was lost when her baby left her body. Anne had become a dear friend to Nan over the years, and she hated to see her in any kind of pain. She thought that everything was over now, and her friend could finally live in peace without her manipulative Father and her cruel husband. But the emotionless face that stared at her made her realise that it was not over, it had never been over, and her Lady's life was about to be disrupted once again.

"Elizabeth and I have been summoned to court."


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapters 1-4 have been edited. The plot is still the same so you don't have to read the whole story again. I just couldn't help myself when I read the story over and noticed how much I repeated myself back then. My writing was kind of awful, and I'm surprised so many of you actually wanted me to continue with this story.
> 
> I can only apologize for the long wait. I suck. Seriously.

Whilst she knew that she would be forced to go to court someday, Anne had never expected it to be only months after her divorce. There had been not one word from the King in almost four months, and whilst Anne knew he would have no desire to have any contact with herself, she had thought that Henry would want to know how his daughter was faring. Though he had been disappointed that she had birthed a daughter and not his much desired son, he loved Elizabeth and took great pride in his jewel. No matter what had occurred between them, she had not thought him capable of ignoring his little daughter. There was no need to punish their daughter because of his anger for Anne.

And then out of the nowhere he was summoning them to court. The last time she had seen Henry he had barely looked at her, let alone spoke to her. Why he would want her at court was a complete mystery. Perhaps for Elizabeth's upcoming birthday, but why not just send for her daughter and a party of her attendants? There was no real reason needed for Anne's presence, so she was puzzled as to why he was demanding her presence.

Perhaps he was bored with his new Queen already? The thought made her snort.

She was not worried that she was in any kind of trouble. After her continued public support, Henry wouldn't dare to accuse her of anything again. The only reason he was demanding her presence had to be to make her pay her respects to Jane Seymour. As if she could ever respect that strumpet! In her eyes the woman was no worse than Anne herself. In fact she was worse. Anne never pretended to be anything other than what she was. Whilst she felt some guilt now over what she had done to Katherine, she would never have gone near Henry if the woman had been with child, no matter what her Father threatened her with. Jane Seymour had played a helping hand in causing her miscarriage that killed her son and looked Anne in the eye the next day as though she had done no wrong. What she and Henry did was unforgivable in her eyes. She did not care that the woman was now Queen, Anne would never respect the bitch.

It was also Henry's chance to humiliate her as she had humiliated him by not giving him a son after years of fighting for her. He was showing the whole of England and Europe that his former wife accepted his new wife and would cause no trouble. By acknowledging the woman who had usurped her crown, Anne was declaring herself as nothing more than the Duchess of Pembroke and not the Queen of England. Jane Seymour was the Queen of England, Henry's wife and consort.

She was welcome to him.

Whilst Anne still loved the sweet, passionate man who had loved her so much during their courtship, everything he had done to her, everything he had been prepared to do to her and her daughter destroyed any love she felt for the man he had become. It was partially her fault for encouraging him to take all of the power he had felt was owed to him, and she would have to live with herself for changing the man she loved in order to obtain his divorce. She felt nothing but anger and sadness for the man who now wore her Henry's face.

Now she loved nothing more than a memory.

She had barely a week to prepare for their journey. When she was not busy preparing for their visit, Anne could not help but reading the letter over and over again looking for a hidden meaning. As her maids fussed around her, the words kept repeating in her head. King Henry VIII requests your presence at court. An escort will arrive within the week. With the amount of money Anne now received, her ladies, Elizabeth and herself dressed extravagantly everyday, so there was no need to worry about her clothing. When summoned to court, many families, especially those with daughters, would spend a fortune on dresses for the ladies in hope of catching a gentleman's eye and earning themselves a husband, and to show how wealthy the family was. It was a silent game of who was the best dressed lady at court, but nobody would be better dressed than the Queen.

Anne refused to meet that custom.

Anne Boleyn may not be Queen anymore, but she and her daughter would be dressed as befitting their former stations. While she may be forced to curtsy before the bitch, she would look beautiful doing it.

She was almost tempted to wear purple before her self preservation kicked in.

She did not want her daughter to go. The whole point of her keeping her life was to protect her from the malicious life at court, and her father. Alas, the situation was out of her hands and if it meant keeping her daughter safe, Anne vowed to make nice with Henry and his strumpet.

\--

After many years of practice, Anne managed to remain calm and poised in front of her household. Her escort included ten of the King's own guard. She prayed that it was for no other reason than to protect his beloved daughter. Why else would he send his guards to escort her to Hampton Court?

Yet she managed to keep her head held high as she made the journey, feeling like a prisoner trapped inside of the carriage. She would smile at her daughter despite her nerves.

"The King will be most pleased to see you, Elizabeth," Anne said when she eventually grew tired of Elizabeth's silence. They were rapidly approaching London, and with each passing hour, her daughter grew more and more silent. Elizabeth kept her gaze locked on the scenery outside.

"Yes mama," Elizabeth whispered, not bothering to turn. The little girl twisted her fingers together in her lap.

Anne swallowed tightly. "What is troubling you?"

Elizabeth hesitated, but seemed to gain some confidence as she looked solemnly into her mother's face, her cheeks shining with tears. "Are you going to send me away?"

Anne caught her breath. "Why on this earth would I send you away?"

"I promise to be good Mama," Elizabeth said in a rush which Anne struggled to keep up with. "I promise! I love living with you and I do not want to go back to Lady Bryan and Mary-"

"Stop," Anne commanded. "I am not sending you away, daughter. Calm yourself."

Elizabeth's chest heaved as she gasped for breath. Anne wiped away the tears on her chubby cheeks and said soothingly, "There are many things that you are too young to understand, my daughter. But know that I will never leave you, and you will always have a place to live in my house Elizabeth."

This seemed to calm the child, but she still seemed upset. "Elizabeth," Anne said quietly. "Speak to me, my darling girl."

Elizabeth sniffled. "Are you taking me to live with Papa and his new wife?" she whispered.

Anne sucked in a sharp breath. Her heart clenched painfully in her chest at just the thought of Jane Seymour raising her daughter. "No, my sweet girl." Anne considered her words carefully. "When I stopped being Queen, your Papa promised that you would always live with me," Anne said, hoping that it was simple enough for a child.

Elizabeth frowned and clenched her chubby little fists. "Good. I want to live with you Mama. I hate Papa's wife!" she cried, her voice raising in agitation.

"Elizabeth!" Panic bubbled in her throat as she stared at her daughter in astonishment. In that moment, she could easily see her daughter becoming just like Lady Mary who had despised Anne the moment she had learned her name. And whilst she could feel some pity for the former princess, Anne would never allow her own daughter to be anything like Katherine's daughter. She was determined that Elizabeth would grow up happily, not a twisted, bitter shadow of her former self, determined to take back her birthright.

"You cannot talk about the Queen like that. You are young, but-"

"You should be Queen! You should be Papa's wife!"

"Enough," Anne snapped. Elizabeth flinched away from her, but still looked her in the eye with determination. She is so much like Henry, she thought. Too stubborn for her own good.

Making an effort to soften her voice, Anne said, "This is the last time we shall speak of this. I loved your Father. I loved him with my whole heart, but I am not his wife, and nor will I be again. I am the Duchess of Pembroke, not the Queen of England. I have told you that you do not have to like Jane Seymour, but you have to respect her."

"But Mama-"

"No!" Anne said, gripping her daughter's hand in panic. "We are going to a dangerous place Elizabeth. You are a child, but you are my child, and that will always be your burden to bare. I maybe the most hated woman in court, and everyone will be watching, hoping to see me fall. You must respect the King and the Queen, no matter what you feel, my sweet girl. Do not let anybody see your weakness, because they will use it against you.

"You are not to go anywhere without Lady Katherine or myself. You are not to talk to anybody, only those from my household. Do you understand Elizabeth?"

Elizabeth stared at her solemnly. "Yes Mama." She paused and looked at her with serious eyes. "Do you respect her Mama?"

Anne hesitated. She would never be able to respect Jane Seymour. Respect is earned. Katherine of Aragon earned Anne's respect as she stubbornly, and stupidly, fought for her title and her marriage. Jane Seymour was little more than a simpering fool in her mind, and no act will ever be able to change her.

She considered lying. After all, lying was something she was most skilled at. But as she looked into her daughter's grave eyes, a look that did not belong on a child so young, she promised herself that she would not hide the truth from her.

"No," Anne finally replied, her voice almost sad. "I can never respect a woman like Jane Seymour."

\--

They arrived late at night, for which she was glad. There were no crowds to greet her, only her brother. Anne regarded him impassively as he approached, carefully shifting the sleeping Elizabeth in her arms. Music from the night's festivities could be heard from a distance, and the young girl that still lived inside of Anne craved to join in with the dancing and the feasts.

To hell with the fact that she would not be welcomed.

Alas, she nodded to George as he stopped in front of her. Gone was the carefree boy she had spent her youth with, but in his place was a hardened man who did not look particularly pleased to see her. A part of her heart ached because of the distance between them. Her brother had been her friend, her confidant in their youth, and to see him look at her as though a stranger broke her heart.

Then she remembered the man who did nothing to stop their father when she pushed him to the King. He stole her letters, told their father every whispered word they once shared. And when the she was just about to fall, all he was concerned about was his lands and titles. He had no care that Anne's heart was breaking, that she had lost another child.

He had no care that the King was going to destroy every Boleyn in his path.

All he cared for was himself.

She may have loved her brother once, and maybe a part of her still holds him in her affections, but she would never forget his actions.

"Anne," her brother greeted stiffly. Around them her servants were unloading her belongings, but they did not dare to look at the siblings.

"Brother. I trust that you are well?"

"I am in good spirits. I am to become a father," he replied, his cheeks growing pink under her scrutiny.

Anne sucked in a sharp breath.

Jealousy and rage burned through her veins. Her grip tightened on Elizabeth as she felt a tightness behind her eyes.

She was not a fool, nor was she deaf. Anne had heard the rumors which were whispered behind her back about her brother. Though she did not acknowledge them, she did not disbelieve them either. What George did to his immortal soul was his own business, but if he was ever found out, then there would be nothing she could do to save him.

How did her brother, who could not stand to be in the same room as his wife, manage to actually conceive a child with that cold fish of a woman?

Why was George being rewarded with a babe when she was not?

But she pushed her jealousy aside and rewarded George with a small but true smile. "That is good to hear, George. I am sure that Jane must be thrilled," she said politely.

George smiled tentatively. He offered to take Elizabeth but she declined. "Tell me, brother," she said as he walked her to her quarters. "Why have I been summoned to court?"

"I suspect for Elizabeth's birthday-"

Anne scoffed. "The King has not sent any messages to her in months. Why would he bother now?"

"Perhaps he misses her." George hesitated. "Or perhaps he misses you," he said quietly.

Anne rolled her eyes. "Do not be ridiculous. He cannot stand me." Anne fell silent as they passed a group of ladies who were giggling and talking in hushed whispers. They fell silent as they noticed her presence and quickly dropped into curtsies and murmuring, "Your Grace."

She did not acknowledge them, or the whispers that followed as they rounded the corner.

"There is talk that the King is not too happy with his new wife. She has not yet conceived," George said. Anne looked at him with suspicious eyes.

"Give the woman a chance. They have been married four months, George," Anne replied fairly, barely concealing the vindictive smile on her face. "What the King does is of no concern of mine, brother."

"Some say that there is talk that he regrets casting you aside." Anne's heart pounded in her chest. "He has mistresses already. All of them brown haired and blue eyed-"

"Stop it George," she whispered.

"We have a chance here, Anne," he continued, his voice suddenly passionate. "We can start over again, but this time we can win. Everything can go back to the way it was. We will have power again. Do not tell me that you do not miss is Anne, the power you had over everyone." George took her hand in his and smiled. "My ambitious sister."

Despite herself, she felt swayed by his words. She did miss it. Having the authority over her subjects, being waited upon hand and foot, being the most powerful woman in England.

She missed the game.

But then she remembered the pain, the loneliness. The fact that she was all but a stranger to her own daughter.

She remembered her babies that did not get a chance at life because of her families ambitions.

"I will never be Queen again, George," Anne said gently. They had stopped outside of her quarters. "Nor do I wish to."

"You do not have to be his Queen. Just his mistress."

"No."

"You made him fall in love with you once. You can easily do it again-"

"I said no!" she hissed. Elizabeth stirred in her arms, but after running a soothing hand through her soft hair she fell back to sleep. "I am done with your games. You think that by whispering words that you think I desire to hear will make me do your bidding? I will not go back to the King's bed, especially not to further this family."

George stared at her with accusation in his eyes. "And if Father demands it?"

Anne swallowed tightly. "I am a Duchess, dear brother. I own more land than the entire Boleyn family put together. I have more power than Father can ever hope to gain. I have no need of Father. Or of you." Anne opened the door but paused when she heard her brother's voice.

"If only you had not fallen in love with him. Perhaps we would still be in favor, and you would still be Queen."

Anne did not bother to reply. She hoped that slamming the door in his face was answer enough.

\--

The quarters they were given were only slightly smaller than the Queen's. They were furnished lavishly, all in the French style. Despite many offers to take Elizabeth to her own quarters, Anne could not bare to part with the child. Her daughters nursery was only a little ways down the hall, and despite cursing her foolishness, Anne teared up at the thought of not sharing her living space with the girl.

Alas, when morning came, Anne summoned her daughter's maids and sent a sleepy Elizabeth to get herself ready for her lessons. Anne distracted herself with the final plans for the monasteries she was converting into schools. Within a few more months, her schools would be up and running. Whilst she could not help many, she found joy in the fact that she could help a few boys gain a decent education.

"Your Grace," Nan called, disrupting her thoughts. "The Duke of Norfolk wishes to see you."

Anne frowned. Her uncle paying a visit was not something she could have predicted. Although he had pushed for her to become Queen, Norfolk had not wanted much to do with Anne when she had fallen from grace. Even when she was Queen, he barely spoke to her other than formalities.

But then she remembered her conversation with George last night.

Anne rolled her eyes. Would the men in her family ever learn from their mistakes?

"Uncle," Anne greeted. Norfolk's cold eyes stared at her solemnly. Anne suppressed a shiver. His cold, calculating eyes evaluated her.

"It is good to see you at court again, Anne," he said in his quiet voice. "Will you join me for a walk? You and I have much to discuss."

Despite wanting nothing more than to hide in her rooms, Anne agreed with a slight hesitation. She reminded herself to speak with caution, for the Duke of Norfolk would be a dangerous enemy to have.

Anne took the arm that was offered to her and matched her pace to his slow one. For a long while, they were quiet as they roamed the halls of Hampton court. Many stopped to stare at the former Queen as they walked past, quickly dropping into shallow curtsies as Norfolk's cold gaze landed on them.

He did not speak until they were alone, nor did he look at her as he spoke. "After your fall from favor, it has taken me months to gain the respect I once had."

Anne did not reply.

"I have only just began to gain favor with the King once again. Your father has approached me with his plans for you and the King-"

"I will not be pushed into his bed once again. Do not think to command me Uncle! I may not be Queen anymore, but none of you are in any position to challenge me," Anne snapped.

Norfolk turned to her then, his icy gaze studying her with a hint of respect. "Good. I told your father to put a stop to his plans." Anne looked at him in surprise. "You are a beautiful woman, Anne. I have no doubt that you would be able to charm your way into the King's affections once again if you tried. Alas, the King is a volatile man, and one cannot predict his actions.

"I took a chance on making you Queen, and whilst it served me well at the time, I have no desire to take that risk once again. Do not go down that road again, niece. You will never become Queen, and you are far too proud to be a mistress."

Anne hid her delight. "I am here because the King commanded it. I am not here for anything else, Uncle," she replied placidly.

Norfolk smiled coldly. "Then we will not have a problem. Come, I will escort you to your rooms." They walked in silence. It was with much effort that Anne hid her smile. She was not foolish enough to trust her uncle, but it was advantageous to know that he did not support her father.

They were approaching a crowded hallway when it happened.

"His Majesty the King," a herald announced.

Norfolk's hand tightened on her arm.

Anne froze.

Henry strode through the room without paying any attention to his subjects who dropped into bows and curtsies. His mouth was set in a firm line that he frequented often around her.

Remembering herself, Anne gracefully dropped into a curtsy and dropped her eyes to the floor.

She prayed that he would not notice her, or if he did then he would not acknowledge her.

Alas, her prayers were for naught.

He stopped in front of her and sucked in a sharp breath. She could feel every eye on her, burning holes into her vulnerable body. They were eager to see how their King would greet his former wife.

She could imagine the gossip that would be surrounding her already.

"You may rise, my lady."

Willing herself to remain calm, Anne stood on steady legs. Anne's breath caught in her throat as she found herself looking into the eyes of her former husband. She thought she would have had time before she had to confront him. She was not prepared for this. Her uncle's presence and every single curious courtier ceased to exist in that moment.

She could not take her eyes off of him.

Every moment between them seemed to sweep through her mind, from the moment she had been put in his path to the moment she agreed to end their marriage.

Every touch, every declaration of love haunted her.

She could easily look at this man, who had once brought her equal pain and joy, and let him into her heart once again. It would be so easy to let herself love him, for the King was truly easy to love when he looked at you as if you are his entire world.

She could claim that she no longer loved this man, but she was not sure that a passion such as the one they shared could just disappear.

But as she stared into Henry's eyes, Anne could not let herself do it. For every happy memory she had, she had a painful memory to match it. And for a woman like Anne who felt more passionately, more deeply than any other, she vowed to always guard her heart before this man.

Anne was an intelligent woman. But most of all she was a woman who learned from her mistakes.

And so, with a hardened heart, Anne looked the King in the eyes. "Your Majesty," she greeted softly.


	6. Chapter 6

"Your Majesty," Anne greeted softly with a small smile.

The King took her hand and pressed a kiss to her skin, lingering far longer than courtesy allowed. "Welcome back to court," Henry said quietly, his gaze surprisingly friendly. It was such a stark contrast to the hatred that filled his eyes the last time he had looked upon her.

His was voice a delicious rasp that brought back memories of nights curled up against him after hours of making love as he whispered in her ear of his love for her and his hopes for their future. In the grand scheme of things, there had not been many blissful nights spent together. No, for most of their marriage, Anne spent her nights alone and wondering which lady her husband was entertaining in his bed.

But those nights before Elizabeth had been born were precious to her, where he was just Henry, a man who loved so passionately he changed the whole of England just to have her as his wife, and she was just Anne, a woman who loved a man despite his marriage to another woman.

Anne struggled to keep her wits about her. It was as though she was a blushing maiden once more as his intense gaze remained firmly on her. He paid Norfolk or the other courtiers no mind. She ached to reach out to him as she once would have done without a thought.

But he was not hers anymore to touch. She thought that she had released him from her heart when she had left court all those months ago. How foolish she had been! It would be so easy to love him once more, especially when he stared at her as if she was his reason for living.

Yet, for all his gentle touches and kind words, there were hateful glares and unforgivable words to match. She would forever remember how easily he had spurned her, how he took pleasure in other women and paraded it in front of her despite promising to love only her.

She had loved him with her entire being, and all the while he had been planning her demise.

Henry was a fickle man, and no matter how much she longed to fall into his arms once again, she could not give this man her heart once again after all the damage he had inflicted on it. These past months she had embraced her freedom, and she would not go back to a life of living under the whims of men.

Especially a man like Henry.

"Your Majesty is most kind to extend me an invitation," she replied, carefully taking a step back and smiling politely.

"I trust that you are well?" he enquired, his eyes fixed on hers.

"Yes, I find that the country suits me," said Anne. In truth she wished that she was back there, safely tucked away out of Henry's mind and sight. Her life may be a boring one, but it was hers.

"How fares our daughter?" he asked. A spark of resentment ignited deep in her belly.

The daughter that you claimed not to be yours and named her a bastard? she wished to say. The daughter you have failed to write a letter to in months?

Alas, Anne bit her tongue and replied with a proud smile, "Elizabeth is well. Now that she is under my roof, I see that Lady Bryan told the truth of her intelligence. She is an incredible child, Your Majesty, for one so young. You should be proud to have her as your daughter."

Henry's eyes tightened, though he smiled. "I am glad. I plan to visit her on the morrow. I have missed her dearly."

"If that is your wish, your Majesty. I am sure that Elizabeth would love to see her father. Though, it has been so long, you will hardly recognize her," said Anne, as sweet as a maiden despite the plain insult.

She could feel Norfolk's cold eyes analyzing her as the entire hallway seemed to wait with baited breath for his reply.

Henry's jaw clenched in anger, and for a moment she thought that he would lose his temper. But he smiled at her and replied smoothly, "I am sure that she is a true beauty, just like her mother."

Anne smiled widely and offered the King her hand. Henry looked amused at her blatant dismissal of him, yet he took her hand and bowed. "Your Majesty," she murmured, curtsying gracefully as he pressed a farewell kiss to her hand.

"My Lady," he whispered, his intense gaze refusing to let her look away. For a moment, he was her Henry once more, the man who loved her above all others and tore his country apart just for a moment in her arms.

But then reality set in, and the King stepped away. With a farewell smile, he took his leave and she was left standing amongst courtiers who were staring at her unabashedly and muttering her name with scorn once more.

Anne straightened her spine and lifted her chin. Malicious stares and gossip was not a new thing for her. When Henry had courted her she had enjoyed the attention of courtiers speaking her name. Alas, it was whispers and rumors that played as evidence in her downfall. It would do her no favors to be thought of as the King's mistress.

"How long until she is in the King's bed once more?" she heard one lady tittering away to her friends followed by hushed laughter. Anne clenched her fists and suddenly it was as if she was Lady Anne Boleyn once more, the woman who stole the King's heart and tempted him away from the good Queen Katherine with what was between her thighs.

"I give it until Christmastide until he puts a bastard in her belly!"

Anne snapped her head in the lady's direction and leveled her with an icy look. "Perhaps you should be concerned with your own status madam, for with a face such as yours, I find it hard to believe that you will ever find a husband despite your dowry-"

"That is quite enough Anne," Norfolk hissed in her ear. He took her arm and steered her away from the outraged gasps. Anne glared at them, daring them to openly speak to a Duchess in that way.

"They have no right to speak of me in such a way!" she spat.

"And yet they shall. You may be a Duchess, but I fear that there will always be gossip concerning you." Norfolk lowered his voice and tightened his grip on her arm. "You may not be the King's wife anymore, but you are still the woman who changed the whole of England. Let them talk. It does you no harm."

"With all due respect Uncle, you were not almost arrested for treason based on lies and idle gossip," Anne said coldly.

The walk back to her rooms was a silent one. Anne felt as though she was in a daze, and if it were not for Norfolk stopping her she would have walked straight past her rooms.

"You did well, my niece," said Norfolk, releasing her arm as they stepped into her rooms. Anne regarded him coolly, searching for some form of mockery as she was accustomed to with the men in her family, but she found none. Instead Norfolk regarded her with a cool respect.

"Do you think so?" asked Anne, eager for somebody to soothe her fears, even if it was her cold and distant uncle. "I planned to stay out of the King's way, and yet I find myself thrust into his presence within one day of arriving at court. I was not prepared-"

"Your first encounter with the King was a public affair. You acted with dignity, all the while reminding the nation that you have a child with the King. He still desires you, that much is clear from his behavior and his choice in mistresses."

"You think that he still desires me?" asked Anne, careful to keep her face neutral. "I don't understand. Half a year ago he could not bare to look at me. Yet now he was perfectly charming."

Norfolk hesitated looking uncomfortable. "There are whispers that he is not pleased with Jane Seymour. He expected to have a child on her by now. I think that perhaps now that you are no longer his wife and without the need for you to give him a son, the King fancies himself in love with you once more."

Anne's breath caught in her throat. "I will not become his mistress," she whispered.

"Nor do I wish for you to be." Norfolk paused and looked at her with calculating eyes. "You have power Anne. Be wise with what you do with it."

He said no more. Norfolk inclined his head and left, though his words would haunt Anne for the rest of the night.

\--

Two days passed and though she received many visitors and well wishers, she received no word from the King, nor had she been sent for by her successor. She had yet to come upon the strumpet, though she knew it was a matter of time until she was called upon to offer her respect.

Though Anne herself had no contact with Henry, he delivered on his promise to visit his daughter. The following night, she arrived in her daughter's lavish nursery and gladly accepted the fierce hug Elizabeth inflicted on her the moment she stepped inside of the room.

"Lady Elizabeth! That is no way for a young lady to act-"

"Be quiet," Anne snapped at the insipid woman tending to her daughter. "My daughter is free to greet her own mother as she pleases. Leave us."

The woman shot her a look of disdain, but refrained from commenting as she left. Knowing that the governess had been chosen by the strumpet, she vowed to send for Lady Katherine Ashley if she was forced to stay at court much longer.

Finally alone, Anne swung Elizabeth up into her arms and reveled in the girl's giggles. "Oh how I have missed you my sweet girl!"

Elizabeth wrapped her arms around her neck and held on tightly. "I missed you too Mama," she replied against her neck. "Can I not stay with you?"

Anne's heart sank, knowing that she was asking for the impossible. "When we go back home my darling. Just be patient."

Elizabeth's face fell slightly, but the next moment she smiled brightly. Despite the late hour, she did not appear to be tiring. "Papa came to see me," she squealed. "And he brought me lots and lots of gifts!" Squirming her way out of Anne's hold, she took her by the hand and pulled her to a chest filled to the brim with every toy a young girl could ever want. As her daughter proudly showed her each one, Anne's heart felt a little lighter as she stared upon her daughter. Though she wished to be anywhere else in England, her daughter's happiness at being reunited with her father made this whole ordeal worth it.

Despite her uncles words, she began to suspect that he was incorrect about the King's feelings. Henry was not a patient man, and she more than most knew that when he wanted something, he did everything in his power to get it as quickly as possible.

That all changed on the third day as she came upon the Duke of Suffolk on her way to the gardens.

"Your Grace," Anne said in surprise, feeling her lips curl in glee at his discomfort as he approached her. She could hear one of her ladies giggle as they looked upon the handsome Duke in admiration. And she supposed that had she met him when she was a young maiden fresh at court, Anne herself would have fancied herself in love with him from his looks alone.

Looking every bit uncomfortable, the Duke inclined his head in a show of respect and greeted her stiffly. "Madam. May I have a moment?"

Anne smiled wickedly. "You are as polite as ever, Your Grace. It gladdens me to see that some things have not changed since my departure from court." Brandon's jaw clenched and he stared at her balefully. She only looked at him innocently and said sweetly, "I am just on my way to the gardens. It is one of the few things I have missed about court, other than your charming personality of course. Would you like to join me?"

"I only wish to take a moment of your time, Your Grace," he said stiffly, her new title sounding odd coming from his lips. "The King wished for me to give you this." He held out his hand in which he held a small gift wrapped in a velvet pouch. She did not need to look inside to know that a piece of beautiful jewelry would be cradled within it. Years ago, the Duke of Suffolk was just one of many who would be sent by the King to deliver extravagant gifts to his sweetheart. For a moment she felt like the girl who had given her heart so foolishly away who welcomed each gift as proof of Henry's love for her, though Brandon did not look upon her with so much loathing then.

Alas, the girl who fell in love with a King grew up, and she knew exactly what this gift meant.

Anne shrank away from his offering. "I do not want it."

"You refuse a gift from the King?"

"Yes. Tell the King that I am in no position to accept a gift such as this."

"This is not a game," Brandon snapped. "Do not play coy-"

"I am playing no games, Your Grace," Anne snapped, glaring hatefully at the infuriating man standing before her. "Despite what you think, I am no whore. If that is what the King is wanting from me, then take back his gift and tell him to give it to a woman who is willing to grace his bed, for I am not."

She swept past him before the Duke could reply, though she could feel his eyes on her all the way down the corridor. With quick curtsies, her ladies simpered after her, but all she could think about was how much trouble she was truly in.


	7. Chapter 7

He is a lustful man, that he will not deny. From the moment he was free of his suppressing father and a crown was placed upon his head, Henry took full advantage of the noblemen who were willing to give their daughters to him to gain his favor.

He loved Katherine, especially in those first years of their marriage before miscarriages and his dead sons.

He loved his wife. His sweet, gentle Jane who smiled prettily at his side and held her tongue.

But there had only been one woman among many who had truly stolen his heart and soul.

It was her eyes. With one piercing gaze, he had been hers, and he was determined to give her her heart's desires despite having to tear apart his country and killing his subjects, even his dear friends, to do so. Alas, her inability to give him his promised son had sealed her fate, and though he was loathe to even consider another man touching her, taking what is his, he had had to let her go and had readily accepted the accusations that sullied her name.

England needed a Prince, and Anne Boleyn would never give him one. He hated her. She was meant to give him many sons, for any child of theirs was destined to be brilliant. Everything that he loved about her also made him hate her. Her sharp tongue, her insufferable intelligence, her lustful ways and passionate temper. Those damn eyes that once flashed with love excitement now looked at him with fear.

Alas, the moment she was sent from court with her daughter, he missed her. Each day that passed with no news from Pembroke tore down his hatred. As the months passed by and Jane did conceive, his resolve crumbled as the date crept closer to Elizabeth's birthday. He had been harsh to his daughter, for he had no doubt that he was her father. Who else could have produced a child such as she?

Each night he lay with his wife in hope to get a child on her, he wondered if Anne missed him as he missed her. He would look at Jane and wish that she had dark hair and paler skin. He wished that she would answer him back and discuss her favorite books with him. But his wife remained the quiet, docile wife that he had desired. He loved her, he truly did.

But he wanted more. More than what his wife could give him and more than any mistress had to offer.

And so he had given the order for her presence at court.

He was a selfish man. It mattered not what his wife wanted, nor even Anne herself. He had to see her again, no matter who it hurt.

But to see her there once more, it was as though they were meeting for the first time once again. Her eyes hooked him in, and once again, he was entrapped by Anne Boleyn. Just a moment spent in her presence and he felt like a young man once again, eager to please his love.

He had to have her once more.

\--

Anne hid herself away in her rooms from days with nobody for company but for Nan and Elizabeth when she was sent for. Claiming illness, she turned away all visitors and dismissed her ladies. Nan's worried gaze followed her every move, alas her good friend held her tongue and wasted her days at her side.

Her uncle's words echoed in her head repeatedly. _"I think that perhaps now that you are no longer his wife and without the need for you to give him a son, the King fancies himself in love with you once more."_

Her former husband was a fickle man and easily distracted by a young pretty thing put in his line of sight. Yet when it came to her, Henry was relentless. Whether it was to gain her affections or to rid himself of her, Henry devoted all of his efforts to get his desires. Presenting her with a gift was just the start of it.

Knowing it was useless, she resigned herself to eventually confronting the matter.

Just not yet.

On the fifth day of her confinement, he sent for her. It was inevitable, but the King was not known to be a patient man. Nan pleaded for her to be left alone, but it was to no avail. It was a direct order from the King, and so Anne held her head high and allowed herself to be escorted. The moment she stepped outside her stomach dropped as she found her eyes meeting George's. In a seething silence, she took his offered arm and allowed herself to be escorted to the King's quarters.

"How could you?" she hissed quietly as the guards walked ahead of them. "After everything that has happened how could you?"

"We need this, Anne," her brother replied. His hand tightened on hers. "Father needs you to do this-"

"For what?" Anne snapped, staring hatefully at her brother. "To gain favor? I will not go to his bed. Have you not learned your lesson George?"

"Yes you will. Father has ordered it."

Anne tore her hand from his and clenched her fist to quell the urge to strike at him. "Did you not hear me before? I do not take orders from that man any longer. I have no need of him, nor of you. You forget that I am a Duchess, brother. The time that I was pushed into a man's bed has long since passed. If you wish to gain the King's favor, perhaps you should go to his bed. How is Mark these days? Has he regained movement in his hands yet?"

George flinched away from her but otherwise ignored her. "You can be happy, Anne," he said softly. They arrived at the King's quarters and George took her hand once more. "Without the need for a son, you can finally have him and be happy."

Anne shook her head sadly. "Do not act as though my feelings matter to you brother."

"Anne-"

With one last look, she turned away from her brother and waited for the door to be opened. "Goodbye George."

The King was waiting for her, his eyes fixed firmly upon her the moment she announced. "Your Majesty," Anne murmured, her eyes fixed firmly on the ground as she curtseyed. She had thought herself prepared, but just being in his presence scattered all of her carefully laid out plans.

"You may rise, Your Grace," he said smoothly, her title coming from his lips sent a shiver down her spine. Anne met his gaze, and she knew that she was in trouble. "Did you not like my gift?"

"Your Majesty is too generous. I have no need for such gifts."

Henry took a step closer, his face alight with mirth. "Is this a game? You once deemed it inappropriate to receive a gift from a married man. You said that you were protecting your virtue. Is this some agenda cooked up with your father?"

Anne refrained from snorting. Her virtue was something long lost to her. "There is no agenda, Your Majesty."

Henry tilted his head to the side and regarded her intently. "There was a time when you received my gifts with gratitude and a smile. What has changed?"

Anne's mouth pressed into a thin line. _I have changed,_ she wished to reply. _After everything, how can you still ask this of me?_ Instead she smiled tightly and replied, "Your Majesty would be best bestowing gifts on another who is worthy of his affections."

Henry stepped closer to her, his eyes looking at her in a way that made her feel ten years younger. "What if it is you I find worthy?" he asked.

Anne remained silent, struggling to find a suitable answer.

"I have missed you, Anne," Henry breathed. He took her hand in his gently and placed her palm upon his cheek. He sank into her touch, and for a moment Anne felt her resolve crumble. This was her Henry. The sweet man who loved nothing more than to feel her touch even for a pew precious seconds. His hands rested upon her shoulders and slowly traveled down her arms. Even through the silk of her dress his touch ignited a fire within her that she had thought extinguished forever.

"Come to my bed tonight," he whispered against her ear.

"Henry," she whispered. "I cannot." She curled her fingers against his shoulders, unsure if she was pulling him closer or pushing him away. He was too close. Her head was spinning. Everything that they were and everything they could be once again flashed through her mind. The memory of his touch, the taste of him and the feel of his lips against hers, how he felt as he made love to her in a frenzied passion, it all came rushing back. She had tried so hard to forget, but with him so close she could not think clearly.

Henry grabbed her and pulled her towards him and pressed a gentle kiss to her neck - the very neck he had wanted to be cut in half.

_What am I doing?_

His lips descended lower and lower, each kiss burning her skin but suddenly her mind was clear.

_"I have always loved your neck."_

Disgusted with herself, Anne pushed him away but to no avail. "Let me go."

"Anne?"

" _Let me go!_ I still stand by what I said all of those years ago. I will not go to your bed unless I am your wife."

Henry's hands tightened around her waist. "I love you-"

"No!" Anne snapped, finally pushing him away. "Perhaps you did once, but not anymore. How can you claim to love me when you have treated me so?"

Henry clenched his jaw. "Do not proceed to tell me my feelings. I love you Anne. Look me in the eye and tell me you do not return my affections."

"You _hurt_ me," Anne said, her voice breaking. "I loved you so much, and King or not, I was your wife. You did not respect me, not like you did Katherine. You flaunted your mistresses in front of me, you punished me for our children dying! They may have been nothing but an heir to you, but to me they were my babies! I felt them grow inside of me, I felt them move, and every time I felt them die. And even after all of that I loved you still and yet you still tossed me aside!"

He remained silent for a moment. Anne silently pleaded with him to apologize, to condemn his hateful actions, but there was no remorse in his hard eyes as they stared down at her.

"It does no good to dwell on the past. God has seen it fit for us to be brought back together once more. Let us not waste this chance. There is no need for you to give me a son, we can be happy once more without the pressure-"

Anne backed away from him, shaking her head. "Of course the past matters. At least it does to me. Despite what this court says, I am not a whore. I may have been pushed into your arms and your bed, but I loved you. I will not do this again. If you have any love left for me, then leave me be. Do not make me watch you have a child with another woman, for I do not think I can bear it. I beg you, let me live in peace away from court and you never have to lay eyes upon me again."

Henry looked at her long and hard. "You are free to leave court when you please," he said at last. Anne let out a relieved breath. "But Elizabeth will remain at court."

"No!" Anne cried, staring at him in horror. "Henry you promised that she would remain with me-"

"Elizabeth will remain at court," he repeated, his voice taking on a steely edge. "It will be good for her to remain at court. Jane will see to it that she is well taken care of. It is time that they get better acquainted. If you wish to take your leave, then that is your choice Madam."

"You have taken everything away from me," Anne spat, her hatred of him seeping into her very soul. "You will not take me daughter from me. If you think for a moment that I would allow that _wench_ to mother my daughter then you are a fool!"

"She is your Queen!" Henry shouted, finally losing his temper with her. He grabbed her shoulders and shook her so hard her teeth rattled. "You will show her the respect that she deserves, for she has been a far more courteous Queen and wife than you ever were."

Anne pushed him away and looked at him in disbelief. "You dare to lay a hand on me?" she hissed. "You asked me if I loved you still? My answer is no! Though you have his face, the man that I loved is dead. How could I possibly love you?" 

Henry spluttered in outrage and struck her firmly across the cheek. Anne cried out, tears springing to her eyes at the unexpected pain. Her eyes met his in disbelief as she put a hand to her stinging cheek. 

"I am the King of England!" Henry spat, his face growing red in his anger. "I could take you right now in this room and not one person would could to your aid, no matter your pleas. Not even your own brother. You are _mine_ to do with as I please."

Anne shrunk away from him, horror and disgust evident in her eyes as she looked upon the monster of a man she had helped create.

"I am not yours. Not even when I loved you most, you never claimed my soul, my love," Anne spat. "I was a fool to give you my heart all those years ago, and I was a fool to even consider the possibility of letting you in once more. It appears that when it comes to you, I do not learn. Alas, hear me when I promise you that you will not have my body," Anne breathed. "And you most certainly will not have my love. Oh, you can force me to stay at court, you may even force yourself on me, but you will do so with the knowledge that I do not want you, that I _hate_ you. _You disgust me._ From this day, you are nothing to me, Henry Tudor."

With that, she left finally feeling that a weight had been lifted off of her chest. Anne flinched as she heard Henry's roar of outrage but she did not turn back. Her nerves could not handle another confrontation. She hid her shaking hands in her skirts and fled from him and the curious stares of his guards and George's horrified eyes. Tears sprang to her eyes and she could barely catch her breath. The curious stares and furious whispers that followed in her wake did not register and it was only until she walked straight into a body that she awoke from her flustered state.

Strong hands steadied her before she went flying. Anne blinked and found herself staring into the eyes of an irritated Charles Brandon.

"Your Grace," Brandon said stiffly, his hands tightening on her shoulders. "Perhaps you should pay attention to your surroundings." Anne could only stare at him. "My Lady, are you alright?" he asked, his hard eyes suddenly concerned as they lingered on her bruising cheek.

Anne opened her mouth to reply but she could find no words. Instead she let out a disbelieving peal of laughter. The Duke looked at her as though she had gone mad, but Anne did not even spare him a thought.

For the first time since she was a child she was free. Free from her ambitious father and treacherous brother. 

And finally free of Henry Tudor.


End file.
